Au Pair
by LaRohaZeta
Summary: [NOW COMPLETE] AU: The Dursleys take on a live in housekeeper after Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts, but there's something sketchy about this stranger. Will Harry discover her secret? Plus, Petunia is pregnant! Talk about drama! R&R please!
1. Stranger At Number Four

Hey all!

Over my vacation, I decided to start this new story I've been thinking about writing for a while. I wrote a rough draft and, well, came out with the first five chapters! Don't ask me how- I'm like a mad scientist when I start writing!

Please let me know what you think- I had some doubts about this fic. Alrighty then, I'm armed with my Hershey bar and keyboard and I'm ready to roll!

**Disclaimer:** I actually don't own Harry Potter, unlike what many believe. I can see how you'd be easily confused, though. You can have something prescribed for that.

**Au Pair**

A woman walked past the quiet dark houses of Privet Drive. The lawns guarding these houses were dying in the summer heat. It was almost dusk, yet still very hot outside. The woman's footsteps echoed on the black pavement, making a sinister, eerie clicking on the sidewalk. Her face was determined, so serious it was almost grave. Yet, her heart fluttered as lightly as a butterfly's wings, filled with happiness.

The woman reached house number four and knocked on the door. Another woman answered. She had a horse-like appearance, with a long neck and small beady eyes. However, her stomach was bulging, sheltering the growing life inside her.

"Can I help you?" The horse woman asked suspiciously. She was not fond of strangers, especially ones who came at night.

"I think so." The other woman reached into her old leather purse and pulled out a small business card. "My name is Tabitha Royce. I've heard through…er…mutual friends that a certain Dursley family was looking for a live-in house keeper during Mrs. Dursley's pregnancy. Would that be you?" The woman questioned, keeping a crisp and polite tone eventhough she was boiling with emotion on the inside.

Petunia Dursley rubbed her enormous stomache and observed this woman. She had thin black hair pulled into a tight bun at the base of her neck. Her blue uniform look sharp and freshly ironed. Her sensible black shoes were shined and her stockings looked brand new. She looked to be in her mid to late thirties. The woman wore little make-up and had a strict look about her. There was, however, a softness in her high cheeks and a slight glimmer in her navy blue eyes. She seemed like someone who would only be kind when…necessary.

"Alright. I suppose we could take you on. We have a guest bedroom on the second floor. Please come in and wait in the parlor while I tidy it up."

"Tidying up" consisted of forcing the boy who lived in the bedroom out and back into the cupboard where he had spent half his life. The boy went quietly so as not to anger her aunt in her delicate stage of pregnancy. He also had far more important matters on his mind.

Petunia returned to the parlor where her guest was looking at several framed pictures that were hanging on the wall. The first was of a younger Petunia in her wedding dress with her arm around a large man with a hideous mustache. The next was Petunia and her husband holding a large ball of what seemed like blankets. Another photo was of a chubby child on a tricycle. There were several photographs like these, including ones of the boy in the drivers seat of his car, fishing by a lake, with a very large woman who looked like his father, and on his computer. As each picture progressed, the boy seemed to gain more weight.

"And who is this handsome young man?" The woman gave a strained smile and pointed to the fat boy in the photos.

Petunia smiled proudly. "My son, Dudley. He's a charming boy, you'll just love him. These are the more recent pictures of him." She pointed to a picture of the fat blob. He looked about sixteen and ever bigger than ever. He was holding up a large trophy. Petunia nodded towards where the aforementioned trophy was displayed behind them.

"Duddy's very athletic. He'll probably be a professional boxer one day." Petunia's pride for her son was starting to sicken her guest.

"Lovely." The stranger nodded. She couldn't stomache giving a compliment. "Is Dudley your only child? Besides the one to come, I mean." She gestured towards Petunia's bulging frame.

Petunia's proud smile faltered. Should she tell this woman about the Potter boy? _He is such an embarrassment to the family_, Petunia thought bitterly. Yet, if this woman would be living with them, she would find out about him eventually. Better sooner than later.

"Yes." Petunia started. "But my nephew is staying with us for the summer holidays before he goes back to boarding school." She spoke hurridly, ashamed. "He's an orphan." For good measure Petunia added, "the poor boy," not very convincing. Petunia lowered her voice to a whisper. "He's not exactly, er, _right in the head_, you could say. Best to try and stay out of his way."

The woman felt her teeth grind in anger. She had a feeling that the boy would be mistreated by the Dursleys. This was obviously not going to be a comfortable stay, but she had to be here. She had not waited a decade and a half to quit at the most delicate stage of her plan. She nodded.

"Excellent. Now, lets talk about your pay." Petunia eased herself onto the couch, careful not to disturb her baby. The woman followed suit into a straitbacked, wooden chair. The two discussed money and hours and such. When they finished, Petunia summoned her family downstairs. "Vernon! Dudley-kins!" She called sweetly. "And Potter, get down here!" She hollered as an afterthought.

Vernon Dursley came hurdling down the stair, tripping on the way. He was beside himself with worry. "What is it dear? Is the baby coming?" Vernon asked his wife frantically.

"No Vernon, relax. I want you to meet our new live-in housekeeper, Tabitha Royce."

Vernon shook her hand looking very relieved. "Pleasure." A huge teenager appeared behind him. Dudley Dursley nodded sourly to the woman.

"Where is that horrid boy?" Petunia scowled.

"Boy! Get down here **now!**" Vernon yelled.

The woman looked towards the staircase. Time seemed to slow down. She first heard him, the pounding of his feet on the ground almost matching the pounding of her heart. Before she could prepare herself, the boy appeared before her. It was a good thing she was sitting down, for her legs would have failed her if she had been standing.

His eyes met hers for a split second. The woman's heart broke at the sight of them. So filled with sadness and despair. She remembered just in time that she was supposed to dislike the boy. The Dursleys would never keep her if they thought she had feelings for him. She managed to give him a curt nod. Her face was impassive, though she was working very hard to keep it that way. He looked so much like him…

Through her thoughts, the woman missed Vernon's introductions. "Hello." The boy mumbled. He looked weary, almost as if the Dursleys were bothering him by being in his presence. The woman was sure this was just the face he put on. She took a guess at where he has learned that haughty bored look.

"Can I _go_ now?" Dudley whined loudly to his father.

Vernon brushed him off with a wave of his hand. "Thank you very much for coming. We expected things to be difficult while Petty was pregnant, but it has been harder than we thought." Vernon rambled as Dudley thundered back up the staircase. The other boy left as well, though both to separate rooms.

The woman collected herself and tore her eyes away from the boy. She nodded to Vernon. "Thank you for the job. I hope you don't mind, I have brought my pet parakeet. Please don't worry, she is very well trained and won't dirty her cage or bother you in any way. She makes very little noise." She informed them coolly. This was another vital part of her plan.

Petunia's lips thinned at mention of animals in her house, but when she glanced at the small bird in the cage, she saw it was very small and was not making any noise. Petunia knew that the creature would soil its cage, but the woman would have to clean that herself. Besides, she was becoming desperate for extra help. Cooking and cleaning had become tiresome for her during her pregnancy and she needed all the assistance she could get.

"That shouldn't be a problem, then." Petunia glaced at her husband before standing. "Now let me show you to your room." She started to climb the staicase.

Vernon took the woman's trunk and birdcage up the stairs following Petunia's lead. The woman went as well. When they reached the upstairs hallway, Petunia opened a door at the far left side. "This is the guest bedroom." Vernon dropped the trunk at the foot of the bed and placed the bird cage on the dresser.

"What's that?" The woman pointed to a thin green book on the wooden nightside table. It was titled Quidditch Through The Ages.

Petunia paled at the sight of the book. She snatched it off the table and quickly pocketed it. "Probably one of Dudley's comic books. He's always leaving them around. She gave a false, shrill laugh.

The woman nodded, giving her a small understanding smile. She looked around the room, observing. Her eyes stopped at the entrance. "Do you have a cat?" She gestured to the cat flap nailed to the base of the door.

"We used to." Vernon covered abruptly. He shot a fleeting glance at his wife. "It died. A year ago. We never got around to taking out the flap."

"And your cat only ever went in this room? There aren't cat flaps on any of your other doors." The woman commented, slightly suspicious. _What_ had they done to the boy when he stayed in here?

"It liked going in here." Vernon lied.

"What is _that_?" The woman looked out the window. She was referring to the few metal bars that were nailed to the sides. Its ends were torn, as if they had somehow been ripped off by a very strong, large creature.

Neither of the Dursleys could answer that right away.

"We were, er, wondering the same thing actually. Those metal bits were on the house when we moved in." Petunia assured her in a panic.

The woman was still suspicious, but gave up interrogating the Dursleys for the moment. "I see. Well, if it's alright with you, I'll settle in tonight and start tomorrow morning."

"That'll be fine." Petunia and Vernon closed the door behind them, proud of themselves for thinking of such wonderful excuses for the evidence of torture in their guest bedroom.

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I know, the first chapter is a little boring. But once you find out who the mysterious woman is (which you will know by the next chapter), the story becomes much more interesting. I promise!

Anyone who guesses her identity correctly gets a lollypop!

Off to pre-order the Half Blood Prince! (thank the lordie for Barnes and Noble!)

Hugs and kisses,

LaRohaZeta


	2. The Sopravivus Charm

Just for the record, you are all big fat cheaters! I should have known that you'd type in Harry P. and Lily P. as the main characters! Oh well. I suppose you would have found out soon anyway. But _no one_ gets a lollypop!

This is a very important chapter where you'll get most of the background necessary to understand the story. Tell me what you think, please!

**Disclaimer:** Wow, you saw right through my ill-conceived disguise. I'm actually _not_ J.K. Rowling and I _don't_ own Harry Potter. _Pauses for gasps and screams._ Yes, I know. I was upset, too.

-

FLASHBACK

A young woman disguised in a black cloak hurried up the stairs of the great castle. Her cloak whipped behind her as she expertly climbed a stone staircase, ran down a corridor, and slid through an extremely narrow tunnel. She seemed to know exactly where she was going, but was moving swiftly and carefully. She reached a hallway and a door guarded by a statue of a gargoyle. She whispered the password and climbed the ancient stone staircase.

"What could be so urgent, Dumbledore," the woman pulled off the hood of her cloak to reveal a sheet of beautiful, silky red hair, "that you needed me to leave James and Harry in our hiding place? You know how dangerous it is for any of us to leave the house!" The woman's eyes flashed.

"I understand that you are afraid, Lily. Anyone would be." The old wizard called Dumbledore started. His expression was grave, and he was speaking hurriedly. "So I will be quick with my proposition.

"You know Voldemort is after your family, and you want to do everything you can to protect them. I believe I may have found a way for you to do this.

"For some time now, I have been working on a spell that enables one to survive the Killing Curse. It has taken me years of experimentation, long and tiresome years, but I believe I may have finally perfected the spell.

The Sopravivus Charm will protect the user from any deadly attack. Once someone is hit with the curse, the Sopravivus will kill the negetive energy that enters the body. When the negetive energy is gone, the person will return living almost the same as they were before being cursed."

"_Almost _the same?" Lily asked suspiciously.

Dumbledore nodded. "I'm sorry to say that the Sopravivus Charm alters the appearance of the user. Someone who uses it will look almost completely different than before. Quite a nasty side effect. I'm currently working on a counter-charm for it. Unfortunately, it is the only side effect I have discovered so far. I'm afraid there could be many I am unaware of, like memory loss, pain, deformities, maybe even death. It has never been tested on humans. But there just isn't time for more research.

"Lily, you know what I'm going to ask you. Will you subject yourself to the Sopravivus Charm?"

Lily Potter felt herself drop into a chair. She put her hand on her head and went into deep thought. Dumbledore told her his charm had never been tested on people. The consequences could be horrendous if it was not successful. It could dramatically change her life, or even kill her.

Then again, if Voldemort found her, she would definitely die. At least with the Sopravivus Charm, Lily would have a small chance of survival. But what would James think of this decision? Oh, James! Either way, their relationship would never be the same again. He would not recognize her with the charm on, and she might not even remember him! And if she didn't use the charm and Voldemort did find them, they would both die. It was a loss/loss situation.

Lily then remembered her baby. She couldn't leave Harry alone in the world. Yes, he would live with Sirius if she and James died, but he would still need a parent in addition to his wonderful godfather.

And if something happened to Sirius? If he was killed as well, or worse? What then? Lily swallowed and knew that would be sent to live with her sister. Petunia would not love him. She would treat him awfully, just as she had treated her when they were children. No, Harry needed a real mother no matter what happened.

"Why can't James use the Sopravivus Charm as well? He would do anything for Harry." Lily asked quietly.

Dumbledore sighed the sigh of a truly heartbroken man. He was not one to tear two loved ones apart. It made him feel just like Voldemort. "I am not willing to put the charm on both of you. The consequences are far too great." Dumbledore noticed the tears falling from Lily's face. "If you'd like, I can alter the charm slightly so that your appearance won't change until you are actually hit by the Avada Kedavra. It's the only aspect of the side effect that I have some control over. You would have more time with your family that way."

Lily nodded, feeling slightly better. The tears started to slow. "But why me? Why not James?"

"I believe Harry will especially need a mother at one point of his life." Dumbledore said simply, not meeting Lily's eyes.

A silence filled the elegantly decorated room. Lily found her face was still wet from silent tears. She wiped them away and spoke the words that changed her life:

"I'll do it."

-

It was Halloween Night, 1981 at Godric's Hallow. Lily Potter lay unconscious on the floor in Harry's nursery. James was dead. Harry was very much alive.

Hearing her son's cries, Lily awoke from her state. When she saw his face was wide-awake, though not very happy, Lily fainted from relief. She did not hear Sirius enter the house and find their bodies. She did not hear him sobbing in grief. She did not hear him exit in a wild rage, swearing to avenge his dearest friends' deaths and kill Peter Pettigrew. Lily did not hear Hagrid walk into the house, also crying with anguish, and take baby Harry away with him on Sirius' motorbike. All Lily was aware of was the squirming in her stomache. The charm was taking effect.

When she awoke for the second time, Lily raised herself weakly and managed to pull her body up from the floor. She looked at the mirror nailed to Harry's door. She almost fainted when she saw not her shiny crimson locks and brilliant green eyes, but the blackest, thinnest of hair and deep, dark blue eyes that reminded her of a storm. Still, Lily supposed she was lucky to be alive, with her memory in tact and zero deformities. However, the new appearance had shocked her. She had a stern looking face similar to a teacher she once had, Professor Minerva McGonagall. Lily almost laughed when she imagined when James would say about her appearance before she realized her husband's body was probably lying downstairs. Tears spilled down her face as she remembered the attack. Lily ran down the stairs, taking them three at a time. She stopped suddenly. There he was, on the floor. Right in front of the open door. James was positioned in a spread-eagle, as if he had fallen, and his hazel eyes were wide open in alarm. Lily hurried over to his side, now sobbing. She took his cold hand in her warm one and looked into his face. She could see his lips were curved into a slight smile. Of course, James had died laughing. He was always laughing, and would continue to do so in death. Lily ran her fingers through his messy black hair and closed her eyes. She pretended they were both really alive again, both themselves. They were sitting by the lake at Hogwarts on a beautiful spring day. The sun was warming their faces as they laughed and talked. Lily opened her eyes and a fresh stream of sobs overcame her as reality sunk in. She lay down next to James' body and went back to her daydream. James was simply asleep, lying next to her. Before she knew it, Lily fell asleep as well, overcome by shock and sadness. She did not feel herself being pulled away from James by a pair of strong hands. This stranger took her in his arms and Apperated into the night.

END FLASHBACK 

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I know it was kinda short, but there wasn't a lot of information to add. I had to cut a lot from my original copy because it didn't make sense. I promise the next chapter will be longer, though. The time between Halloween 1981 and the summer of 1996 is explained, meaning where Lily went, what happened to Sirius, etc.

Review, or else!

Till Next Time,

LaRohaZeta


	3. Bittersweet Reunion

Ugh, snowy days are crap. I hope you all know that. I've been sitting here on my lazy ass all weekend, trying to motivate myself to put down the year-old copy of ELLEgirl, get up out of bed, and schlep myself over to the computer and update this fanfiction! I'm happy to say that I've finally found some inspiration- 34 reviews! Awesome, I love you guys. I promise Ch. 6 of A Hogwarts Tale will be up soon. Here's Au Pair.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter because my name, to my own misfortune, is not J.K. Rowling. Yippee.

-

It was Dumbledore who had taken her from Godric's Hallow that night, Lily later found out. He had Apperated them to his office and left her to go back to her house. Dumbledore transfigured a potted plant to look like Lily's body and placed it in Harry's nursery. Ministry officials started to arrive not long after that, looking very solumn indeed, and took away the bodies of the Potters. Dumbledore was extremely saddened by the death of James Potter. James had been one of his favorite students in Hogwarts, despite his trouble making. Dumbledore left to make sure his child arrived at the Dursley's. After he was positive that Harry was safe, Dumbledore departed from Privet Drive and left for his office where Lily was waking. He explained the night's events as she sat in wonder, shock, and disbelief. Wonder, that Harry, only a baby, could not only survive Lord Voldemort's attck, but also be the reason for his disappearence. Shock, that Peter Pettigrew could betray his friends. Disbelief, that she could do nothing to help Sirius.

Shortly after Halloween Night, Dumbledore informed Lily that Sirius was being sent to Azkaban for selling the Potters to Voldemort. Lily was the only person alive that knew he was not the accused secret-keeper and traitor, but there was no evidence to prove this. If Lily came forward, no one would believe her. She looked completely different from her former self and would very likely be taken for an imposter.

When Lily confronted Dumbledore about the true identity of the turncoat, he agreed with her. If would not be wise to come forward. No one would believe her. Common prejudices were easier to believe than truths. That a member of the notorious Black family was Voldemort's servent was easier to believe than the treachery of a small, weak-minded boy to his friends.

Dumbledore had another reason for not wanting to come forward with Lily's survival. In the wrong hands, his spell could be used for terrible deeds. The side effect especially. Who knew what the Death Eaters would do if they could change their appearances with a wave of their wands? It was much too risky for the wizarding world to be aware of such a spell until "the bugs were removed," so to speak.

So Lily and Dumbledore watched from afar as their friend was sent to the dementors of Azkaban. Being helpless is a terrible feeling.

Lily moved into a small house on the outskirts of London. She spent most of her time there mourning James' death and worrying about Harry. Dumbledore had placed a lookout next door to the Dursleys, so Lily was able to follow the major events of her son's life through Arabella Figg. She delighted at the signs of magic in his blood, grieved over his mistreatment by the Dursleys. Yet she never saw her son's face, and it was slowly driving her mad.

Dumbledore informed her of the day Harry was accepted to Hogwarts. It was one of the happiest days of Lily's life, right along with her own acceptance to the school, her appointment of Head Girl, her wedding day and Harry's birth. Lily was immensely proud of the things Harry had accomplished. Saving the Sorcerer's Stone from Voldemort, killing the basilisk that had haunted Hogwarts for so long, Fighting off a hundred dementors to save Sirius. Lily was both pleased and heartbroken when Dumbledore told her that Harry's Patronous took the form of a stag. She was moved to know that James would protect his son even in death. She missed him more every day.

Lily listened to Dumbledore's stories, horrified at the pain Harry went through. She cried after hearing of Harry's experience in the graveyard, seeing Cedric Diggory murdered and Voldemort come back to life. Lily learned of Harry's terrible fifth year at Hogwarts' betrayed by the people he trusted and tormented for his courage. Harrassed, embarrassed, and bad-mouthed, Harry got through the year only to see his Sirius, his friend and guardian, killed before his eyes. Lily wept.

It was time, Dumbledore informed her. The part of his life when Harry would need a mother most. Lily packed her few bags, placed **her owl, Peine**, (who was disguised as a parakeet) into her cage, and left for Privet Drive to see her son for the first time in fifteen years. She was to give him as much comfort as possible without giving away her identity.

-

Lily Potter now lay on the bed in the guest bedroom of her sister's house in Little Whinging. Her son, whom she hadn't had any contact with for fifteen years, lay in a similar position on his tiny bed in the cupboard directly below her.

Harry Potter was crying. It was a habit he'd picked up since his godfather's death. Harry felt sadness, anger, but above all, immense guilt. He would never let go of the fact that he was responsible for Sirius' death. If only he had studied Occlumency harder, if only he had listened to Hermione's warnings about Voldemort using his "hero disposition" to his own advantage. If only…

There were so many "if onlys," it was much easier to clear his mind and try to sleep.

-

Lily knew of her son's grief; she herself was devastated at learning of Sirius' death. He had been one of her dearest friends, a true Marauder and a strong, courageous man.

Dumbledore had warned her not to show her true self to Harry, but Lily was filled with curiosity and was anxious to find out more about her son. She pulled out her wand and tapped the floor of her bedroom. The floor seemed to melt away, but it really just took the appearance of the room below it. Lily placed another spell on the floor in addition to the Disillusionment Charm so that she would be able to see Harry, but the ceiling would remain the same to him, like a looking glass that was only transparent through one side.

Lily crawled onto the floor. She watched Harry on his bed, crying. Oh, he looked so much like James! Lily thought nostalgically. His face, his posture, his body, his expressions. She watched him rise from his bed and start to pace the circumference of his tiny room, tears still falling. Only when he collapsed back onto his bed and lay on his back, staring directly at the ceiling, did Lily see Harry's eyes for what they were. She gasped. Before, all she could see was the faint color clouded by depression. Now, glistening with tears, Lily saw what her son's eyes really were- emerald.

Lily's own eyes started to water at the sight of them. They were hers, there was no mistaking them. The gray ring around the pupils, fading to green, the spotted yellowish-green middle and jade outer circle. Harry's eyes were just like Lily's. Well, they _were_ like Lily's, before her brilliant green eyes became midnight blue.

Lily realized that Harry was about to go to sleep and decided that she should probably get some rest as well. It was going to be hard work, pretending she hated her son.

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So, what did you think? A cookie goes to anyone who can tell me what Lily's owl's name means. Here's a clue: it's a word from a European language that perfectly describes Lily's state of mind.

I'll update soon, I promise!

Enjoy the snow! I know I won't.

LaRohaZeta


	4. Breakfast Drama

Clever ones, aren't we? Yes, "peine" means "grief" in French. Good guesses.

So, as far as fanfiction goes, here are the stats (as of 2/13/05): A Hogwarts Tale, ch. 7, is almost done. Hopefully, it'll be up some time next week. Five chapters of Au Pair are written, but there _will be more!_ Also, I'm thinking of writing a HP fic based on Lovely Bones. Let me know what you think.

**Disclaimer:** Humor me.

-

Harry awoke very early the next morning. He yawned, sat up and stretched, and nearly had a seizure when he realized his ceiling had disappeared. It did not take long for him to realize he had accidentally performed magic.

"Oh damn!" He muttered. Harry reached for his wand before he realized he could do nothing to fix it. He was not allowed to do magic outside of school. With another jolt of panic, Harry realized the Dursleys' housekeeper was probably sleeping in the bed above him right now. If she discovered what he was, the Dursleys would never forgive him.

Harry grabbed a spare piece of parchment and a quill and scribbled a note to his best friend.

_Ron_

_Seems like I've accidentally done magic. I'm back in the cupboard, and when I woke up this morning, my ceiling was gone. Normally, I wouldn't worry, but the Dursleys have a guest over and, well, let's just say, "hell hath no fury like a **pregnant** woman scorned!"_

_Reckon your dad can Apperate over here and help? Quickly, please!_

_Harry_

He tied the note to his owl, Hedwig, and muttered, "Please be quick, girl." Hedwig gave him a reassuring hoot and took off through the open window.

Almost ten minutes later, Harry was greeted by a loud crack. A balding red-haired man in wizard's robes appeared out of nowhere.

"Harry! I've heard you're in a spot of trouble?" Mr. Weasley asked him, concerned. In response, Harry pointed to the ceiling. It was still seemingly non-existent. Thankfully, however, Ms. Tabitha Royce had apparently not yet woken.

"Goodness, Harry!" Mr. Weasley exclaimed. "You did this in your _sleep!_ What on earth made you so upset that…" He stopped himself in mid sentence. A haunted look appeared on Harry's face.

"Well, I…er…" Mr. Weasley muttered distractedly. He then pulled out his wand and tapped the air above them. A raping noise filled the room. The ceiling seemed solid enough.

"Hmm. That's interesting (A/N: I LOVE YOU JACK SPARROW!). Mr. Weasley said thoughtfully.

"What is?"

"Your ceiling isn't gone. It's been Disillusioned."

"What?" Harry exclaimed, surprised. "I couldn't have done that without a wand, much less in my sleep."

Mr. Weasley did not speak immediately. He waved his wand and the ceiling turned back to normal.

"Well, you should be alright now. Owl me if you need anything, Harry." He smiled and, with another loud crack, Disapperated from the cupboard.

With one last glance at the ceiling, Harry left his room and walked toward the Dursleys' spotless kitchen. He decided he would make breakfast for them before they awoke. It was one of his usual chores.

Harry was, once again, very surprised as he walked inside. Tabitha Royce was already cooking over the stove. Delicious aromas of bacon and fried eggs filled his nose.

"Oh, hello." Royce greeted him with a small smile.

"Morning." Harry nodded. He braced himself for Royce to mention her lack of floor this morning.

"Harry, isn't it? Harry Potter?" Royce questioned him.

"Yes, that's my name." Harry waited still. Surely, she must have noticed something unusual when she woke up?

"Breakfast is almost ready, Harry Potter. You wouldn't mind setting the table, eh?" Royce chatted breezily.

"No." Harry took several plates out of the cabinet and placed them on the table. He was no longer worried. If Royce had noticed the absence of a floor in her bedroom, Harry would have heard screams and the thumping of a suitcase being dragged out the front door. Following her departure, the Dursleys would have severely punished him, or sent him packing as well. No, Royce must have woken up very early and not noticed the floor in her exhausted state. Harry exhaled, relieved.

-

Lily had decided to make a good impression on the Dursleys. She woke up early, very sleepy, and started to make breakfast in the kitchen. When Harry entered, she tried to stay calm and made friendly conversation, even though what she really wanted to do was run over and hug him so tightly that he wouldn't be able to breathe.

She was startled to see how pale the boy looked. In a motherly frenzy, Lily racked her brains for possible ailments. Was Harry sick? Could he have a cold? Lily resisted the urge to carry him over to the couch, put a warm cloth on his forehead, and force-feed him a Pepper-Up Potion if necessary.

Maybe he's upset over something? Lily wondered. She inwardly slapped herself for her stupidity. You git! Of course he's upset over something! But maybe it's something else? Something besides Sirius? He looks a little panicky…

With a wave of shock, Lily remembered the charm she put on her floor the previous night. Oh no! She never took it off! She thought in a panic. Harry must have thought _he'd_ done it by accident!

"If you'll excuse me for a minute, Harry. I have to go feed my parakeet." Lily lied smoothly. She dashed out of the kitchen and didn't stop runnning until she reached her room.

Lily was surprised and alarmed to find that the floor had returned to normal. Had Harry performed underage magic? Well, it wouldn't be the first time, she thought, annoyed with her son.

The thought of scolding him quickly disappeared. Lily almost laughed at the thought of it. How would she, a witch, feel if someone she believed to be a muggle suddenly started yelling at her for casting a spell illegally? Instead, Lily wrote a letter to Dumbledore.

_Albus,_

_Last night I put a Disillusionment Charm on my floor. When I woke up, it was gone, but **I** didn't take it off. Do you know if it was Harry? Who else could have?_

_L.P. or_

_L.E. or currently_

_T.R._

_(Whichever you prefer)_

Lily gave the parchment to Peine and watched her fly away. When she walked back into the kitchen, she saw that Harry had put the bacon and eggs on separate plates. He was carrying them over to the table, looking much calmer.

"Is your bird okay?" Now that he was positive Royce hadn't noticed the floor, he was feeling much better, almost friendly, even. This woman seemed to have a very positive effect on him, one that he was curious to know more about.

"Yes, she'll be fine." Royce assured him.

"A parakeet is a very unusual pet." Harry commented pleasantly.

Royce smiled. "Oh, she's a beautiful creature. Very exotic."

"Where did you find her?"

"She was a gift from a friend." Royce said simply.

Harry reached into the cabinet to pull out five glasses. "Oh Harry, I'll get those. Don't worry, you sit down and start eating." Royce assured him.

Harry, relieved of his usual cooking duties, was unaccustomed to this new freedom. He took half a fried egg and the most burnt slice of bacon, his usual serving at Number Four.

Royce seemed to have noticed this. "Harry, please take more. You're a growing boy, you have to eat!" She looked concerned. Harry obliged and ate his breakfast quietly, marveling at how kind this Tabitha Royce seemed to be.

Not long after, the Dursleys stomped into the kitchen. Harry tensed. Petunia was most grouchy in the morning.

"Good morning." Royce greeted them. "I have breakfast on the table." She spoke crisply. Harry noticed it was not the same tone she used with him.

"Mum, I'm going to starve!" Dudley whined at the small mountain of crispy bacon and golden eggs set on the table.

Petunia glared at Harry's small portion of food. He knew what was coming.

"Boy! Just what is wrong with you! How **dare** you take so much food from us!" Petunia hollered. She was livid. "We've given you so much, you ungrateful creature, and how do you repay us? By coming back from that horrible school, moping around all month, skiving off chores and eating more than you're entitled to! Give the rest of that to Dudley **NOW!**"

Lily listened to her sister lecturing her son. It was unbearable to hear; yet Lily could not control her emotions. She was shaking with anger. How _dare_ Petunia treat Harry this way? She was punishing him for eating _normally_ for once in his life! For Merlin's sake!

To Lily's immense surprise, Harry remained calm. He was even _smiling!_

"Oh, sure Aunt Petunia. I'll give Dudley the rest of my breakfast." Harry replied sweetly. With that, he grabbed the contents of his plate and threw it in Dudley's face.

-

Hehe. The-Boy-Who-Lived seems to have turned into The-Boy-With-PMS. An interesting turn of events. But, surely you didn't think Harry would bottle up his anger, not after those interesting displays of emotion in OotP?

So, this week's trivia question: what does "Au Pair" mean?

C'mon! Review! You know you want to!

Happy V-Day! Spend it with someone you love (in my case, that significant other happens to be a box of Lindt truffles. Yum…)

LaRohaZeta


	5. Secrets And Silences

Hello, my wonderful, beautiful readers! How are you? That's very nice! I'm fine, thank you for asking. Last chapter was a bit of a cliffie, wasn't it? Yessir, Harry has got some sirius issues- pun intended. So, this is the last of the chapters I wrote on vacation. The next ones might take a little longer to get out because I have to get back into the flow of writing this story. Though I will enjoy it. A lot.

Thanks to all my reviewers, you guys are awesome! Keep reviewing, please!

**Disclaimer:** Actually, I've been lying to you for the past four chapters. I really _am_ JKR. Really! Nose grows at astonishing rate

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

For a moment, there was a shocked silence in the Dursley kitchen. It didn't last long.

"UGH!" Dudley moaned, flinging eggs out of his eyes.

"POTTER!" Vernon screamed. He tried to grab him but Harry was too quick. He dodged his uncle's massive arms and fled the house, laughing all the way.

o-o

Harry was only laughing to spite his aunt and uncle, however. No, he hadn't laughed properly in ages. As soon as he left the house, he stopped. His aunt's constant bad moods left him tired and annoyed. He wished the horrid baby would just come out already. It was causing him a lot of grief.

Harry started to walk down Privet Drive, away from Number Four. He knew he would have to face the consequences of his actions later, but looking back, Harry realized the whole scene had been quite amusing, actually. He did not feel bad at all for showering his cousin with eggs. In fact, his only regret was that he had wasted Tabitha Royce's delicious food.

o-o

Back in the Dursleys' kitchen, Lily was fighting the urge to laugh herself. Harry really could channel James' spirit when he needed to. Yes, flinging fried eggs at Dudley Dursley was exactly what James would have done. Then he might have hexed Vernon for being an annoying git and transfigured Petunia into some ugly creature. A skunk, perhaps, or a possum.

Lily was brought back to reality by another moan from Dudley. She hurried into the bathroom and came back with a stack of towels. Petunia grabbed them and started frantically blotting her son, as if he were a slice of pizza with too much oil.

After Dudley was somewhat clean, Petunia retired to her room claiming that she and her baby needed to rest after such a traumatic experience. Not long after she left, Harry came back. He had only been gone for a half hour or so, choosing to be absent during the worst of his bad mood. He tried to enter the house quietly. Unfortunately, Vernon spotted him.

"Potter!" He grabbed his nephew by his messing black hair. "Go to your cupboard, now! And stay there! No food! Go!" Vernon seemed incapable of proper speech. He thrust his nephew into his tiny room and slammed the door behind him, red-faced and panting with rage.

Lily watched Vernon's outburst in shock. _What _was wrong with the Dursleys? Harry had never done anything to deserve such treatment! Were they afraid of his powers? Jealous? Lily never could understand why Petunia hated her so much when they were children. It was possible she just had a phobia of anything slightly out of the norm. Lily realized she would probably never know the answer to her question. The Dursleys would forever be a mystery to her.

o-o

Harry lay on his bed. He had been in his room for hours, it was almost midnight. He had gone through his chocolate frog cards, done homework, basically anything to take his mind off his grumbling stomach and fatigued mind.

Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts had been nothing short of horrible. He had lost his godfather, one of the most important people in his life, and learned that he had been chosen by fate to defeat the most evil, powerful wizard of the times. Harry wanted to yell at the heavens, _"Is there anything else? Anything at all? Shall I be burnt alive as well? Watch every person I care about be tortured in front of me? Eh?Anything? How about I move to a savage island full of cannibals and allow myself to be eaten alive? ANYTHING ELSE?" _Harry sighed and stared at the ceiling, almost as if the answer to all his problems was written in the woodwork.

Harry was startled when he heard a faint knock on his door. "Harry," a voice whispered. _It must be Royce_, Harry thought instantly. Sure enough, when he opened the tiny door, he was met by those sparkling navy blue eyes.

"I thought you could use some food." She whispered. Royce was carrying a tray full of biscuits, cheese, and left-over chili from the Durselys' dinner.

Harry meant to thank her, but his bad mood caught up with him. "Why are you so nice to me?"

Tabitha's face darkened. "Someone around here should be." She looked almost pained, as if she understood Harry's frustration with the Dursleys. Harry sort of believed she did. Tabitha sat on the edge of his bed. "Besides, I don't fancy the Dursleys to be such wonderful people. And you seem like an okay boy enough." Tabitha said in a lighter tone. Harry smiled. She ruffled his already-messy hair. "So where did you get this disaster?"

"My dad." Harry laughed. Tabitha really had a way of cheering him up. "From what I've heard, I look just like him."

Tabitha smiled sadly. "I'm sure you do. Boys usually look like their fathers." Tabitha rose from Harry's bed. "Well, I'd best be off to bed. You should too, Harry. Get some rest." She spoke in a motherly tone. Harry was strongly reminded of Mrs. Weasley.

"Oh yes, because I'll need as much energy as I can get. Sitting in my room for hours can get so strenuous after a while." Harry spoke sarcastically. Tabitha laughed and shut the door behind her on her way out.

Harry smiled to himself. It was nice to meet someone genuine for a change. Tabitha Royce could turn out to be a very good friend. Just by being around her, Harry felt his mood improve. And for the first time since Sirius died, as he drifted off to sleep, Harry was not haunted by nightmares of towering daises and eerie, fluttering veils whispering secrets of death into his ear.

o-o

Lily was full to bursting with emotion. She had had first real conversation with her son! And they had talked about _James,_ of all subjects! She would really have to control herself in the future. It was much too risky for Harry to find out her identity while Dumbledore's charm still had the dangerous side effect of changing people's appearances. No, their conversations would really have to stay on safer topics. Still, Lily was delighted with the time she spent with Harry. She couldn't have asked for a better son. She had to give her sister credit; whatever Petunia did- or didn't do, for that matter- certainly morphed Harry into a wonderful boy. Harry was intelligent, witty, and passionate, just like James. And Lily found it easier to talk about her husband with Harry than it was with anyone else. It even seemed to slightly ease the pain she felt when she thought of him. True, Harry didn't exactly know the truth about her relationship with his father, but Lily hoped that would change soon. Lily fell into a deep, dreamless sleep with this thought to comfort her.

o-o

Lily woke the next morning to a rapping on her window. She sat up in bed, rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, and stretched before rising groggily and dragging herself to the window. She pulled the glass up a few inches and allowed Peine to fly in. Lily untied the letter that was attached to her leg and watched her fly to her cage to drink a few gulps of water. It had been Dumbledore's idea to transfigure her owl into a parakeet, as they were far more inconspicuous birds. Peine was still able to deliver and send her mail, though, an ability that Lily was grateful for because she needed to be in constant contact with Dumbledore. Of course, the letter was from him, as he was her only correspondent.

_Tabitha (I prefer this one),_

_Arthur Weasley owled me this morning to tell me that he was at the Dursleys' yesterday morning. Harry had written to him because he thought he had performed accidental magic. Arthur went as soon as he got the owl and turned the ceiling back to the way it was. He was not sighted. You were lucky this time. Please be more careful in the future. I am aware that you have not seen Harry in a decade and a half, but you must be cautious while you are staying with your sister. Anyone discovering your identity could be the downfall of our plans._

_On a lighter note, I have been having much success lately with my attempts to banish the Sopravivus Charm's side effects. I have a few plans, though they will require more time. Please be patient- this discovery could mean the end of this terrible war._

_I will keep you informed._

_Albus_

Lily went through a wide variety of emotions as she read the letter from Dumbledore. She felt relieved, of course, to know that Harry had not done magic. Panic soon overcame her, however, when she learned that Arthur Weasley had visited the previous morning. What if he had noticed the extra magic radiating from the house? Magic that was too strong, too old to be Harry's? She shuddered, imagining the dire consequences. Lily switched to frustration with Dumbledore for condescending her. She did not need to be lectured on caution, Lily was always responsible. Who was the one who kept the Marauders from crossing the line during their days at school? She was. Still, underneath her bitterness, she knew the headmaster was right. She couldn't afford to make her secret known to Harry. It was too risky. Lily was very pleased when she read the part about Dumbledore's successes with the Sopravivus. She hoped he would hurry up with a breakthrough soon; she really missed her old appearance. She felt incredibly vain thinking it, but this stern look just didn't fit her. Her auburn hair and round, fair face was a part of her, and she wanted to show that part of her to Harry.

Lily reached for her wand and set the letter on fire, just as Dumbledore had instructed her before she arrived at Privet Drive. _"Destroy or hide all evidence of your contact with wizards. Letters, photos, diaries, anything you have. Nothing should connect you to the magical world."_

Lily vanished the ashes and tucked her wand deep into the pocket of her bathrobe. She needed her wand with her at all times, no matter what Dumbledore said. It was her most important possession, and the only thing that made her feel safe.

With that, she left her bedroom and walked into the hallway. The house was very quiet, unusual this early in the morning. She listened closely for Vernon's usual rumbling snores and Dudley's sleep-talking. Nothing. Absolute silence. Lily hurried to Vernon and Petunia's room and opened the door just a crack. She peered inside. The bed was empty. She ran next door to Dudley's large room. Again, no Dudley. The Dursleys were gone.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

A/N: Oh no, what happened to the Dursleys? Guess you'll have to find out next chapter… evil laugh

Just incase you all were wondering, I pictured Tabitha Royce as looking sort of like the brunette girl from Love Actually, the one Hugh Grant falls in love with. I think her name was Natalie. A cookie goes to anyone who can tell me the name of the actress who plays her! (I really don't know the answer this time; I'm having a senior moment here.)

Love from,

LaRohaZeta


	6. Shrine Park

I hate computers! My stupid laptop won't let me update A Hogwarts Tale! I'm really sorry, but you'll all have to wait until we get it fixed for another update. The good news is that this has given me plenty of time to work on Au Pair, and I now have the whole story line plotted out. All I will say is this:

I've gotten a few reviews for this story from people who don't understand why Dumbledore let James die and Lily live. I'll just say this: everything makes sense in the end. And it's one hell of an end, I'll say that much. But no more…

Just a note to avoid confusion: whenever Lily is referred to as "Tabitha", it is Harry's POV. When it switches to "Lily", it's back to her POV. Just thought I'd clear that up.

**Disclaimer:** It's not mine. But, oh, how I wish…

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Lily ran down the staircase and into the kitchen. A note was sitting neatly on the countertop, a piece of tape attached to it so as to hold it in place. She picked it up and read.

_Ms. Royce-_

_We've gone to Petunia's doctor. Not to worry, she has to have a check-up every week. We're taking Dudley for a drive while we're out, we we'll be back in a few hours. The boy stays in his room. No food._

_Vernon Dursley_

Lily exhaled. Dumbledore's constant warnings of Death Eaters coming to Privet Drive had obviously shaken her. She didn't want the Dursleys hurt, no matter how vile they were.

She raced over to Harry's cupboard and latched open the door.

"Harry," She shook his sleeping form, trying to wake him. He mumbled something incoherent and rolled over. She shook him again, and he swatted at the air and pulled his pillow over his ears. "Harry, wake up. The Dursleys are gone." This had the impact she had been hoping for. Harry rubbed his eyes and sat up slowly.

"What did you say?"

Lily sat down on the edge of his bed. "They Dursleys left for the doctor's. I thought you might want to come out for some fresh air." She picked up a tee shirt from his floor. "Here, why don't you change and meet me in the kitchen in five minutes? I'll make us something we can eat while we're walking."

For a second, Harry looked unsure about leave the house, but he got up anyway and picked up a pair of rumpled, baggy jeans that Lily assumed once belonged to Dudley. "Where are we going?"

Lily smiled mischievously. "You'll see." She exited the cupboard and left behind an eye-rolling Harry.

o-o

Ten minutes later, Harry was dressed and holding a pile of dry toast wrapped in a checkered cloth. He and Tabitha were strolling silently down Wisteria Walk, breathing in the warm, breezy summer air and looking around at the rich green lawns. Harry had not immediately wanted to go when she brought up the idea of a walk. He supposed that the events of the previous year had had a negative effect on him, pushing him away from people and human contact in general. He had spent most of the summer in his room, only leaving it to go downstairs for meals. Until Tabitha arrived, Harry had only spoken to his uncle during fights. Other than that, he stayed as silent, the only one at Number Four, Privet Drive who wasn't screaming and throwing tantrums 24/7. That was why he was hesitant to make any journeys longer than the distance between his room and the bathroom. So when they reached the corner of Wisteria and Shrine Road, he decided to ask again.

"So can you tell me where we're going now?" He whined in a fine impression of his cousin.

Tabitha laughed. "I suppose so. It's no big secret, really. I found this little park when I was on my way here. I thought you'd like to see it."

"Oh, Shrine Park?" Harry remembered.

Tabitha's face fell slightly. "Have you been there?" She asked, biting her lip. It was obvious to Harry that she had been trying to treat him to something fun and new, and she was disappointed that he had already visited the park. Harry couldn't understand why she was trying so hard to get him to like her, but decided to cover his mistake anyway. "Only once." He fumbled quickly. "But I didn't really get to walk around or anything, and it was a rainy day and all, so I couldn't see much…"

Tabitha looked happier at this. "Did the Dursleys take you?" She asked.

Harry looked at the ground and cleared his throat. "Not exactly. Dudley and his friends were chasing me and I hid out in the park to avoid them." He coughed, embarrassed. "It was a long time ago, I mean."

Tabitha was silent for a minute. She shuffled her heels on the pavement. "That's horrible, Harry." She croaked out. "Did they…do they do that a lot?" She asked quietly.

He shook his head. "No, not anymore. We went off to separate schools and…Dudley found his little gang, so he's usually pretty occupied during the summer when I see him."

Tabitha shook her head, almost as if she were disappointed in herself, though Harry couldn't see why. She didn't have anything to do with the ten years of torture Dudley had put him through. "I'm sorry you had to go through that, Harry." A hard voice muttered.

"Why? It's not your fault."

Tabitha bit her lip. "No. No, it's not my fault…" She echoed emptily. The two walked quietly the rest of the way, with only the crunching of Harry's toast being eaten and the dull thud of their feet on the sidewalk to keep them from going dizzy from the silence.

o-o

"Oh, here we are!" Tabitha said cheerily when they reached the rusty iron sign labeled "Shrine Park". The park was small, but very pretty on nice weathered days like that one. The dogwoods were in full bloom by that mid-July and flaunted their buddy blossoms with great spirit. The trees carried the greenest leaves Harry had ever seen there and the grass was crisp and emerald. The whole park smelled like its freshly mowed and watered lawns. In the far right corner of the park, there was a little playground for mothers to put their restless children while they caught up and gossiped about the latest neighborhood secrets. Tabitha gave a squeal of delight when she saw the swings and grabbed Harry's hand. He laughed and followed her, jogging towards the playground.

Tabitha hopped onto a rickety blue swing and kicked off. She flew higher in the air, swinging her feet to get to the maximum altitude. "Come on Harry!" Harry stood in shock and amusement for another moment, then got on a swing and started to push himself. In a matter of seconds, he was as high up as Tabitha.

"Woooo hoooo!" Harry looked towards Tabitha and saw a crazy glint in her eye. _Oh no. _Harry looked again. _She's not-_

Tabitha jumped. Harry watched her soar through the air with wide eyes. She landed surprisingly neatly on a patch of grass six feet away from the swing set. Tabitha stood up immediately and brushed her skirt off. "Jump, Harry!"

Harry grinned and complied. He flew into the air and landed, although not quite as gracefully as Tabitha. She gave him her hand and helped him stand, breathless with laughter.

"Wow!" Tabitha exclaimed after another spout of laughter. "I haven't done that in years!"

Harry was laughing as well. "Why don't we walk a little?"

"Sure." They followed the paved pathway that circled Shrine Park. In the distance, Harry could see a group of children with their grandparents, huddled around a white truck. He sighed enviously when he saw their towering sweet cones. Tabitha noticed his desire. "Would you like some ice cream, Harry?"

Harry blinked at her. "I haven't got any Mug- er, I haven't any money."

"I could buy it for you," Tabitha shrugged.

Harry's eyes widened. "Oh, no, you don't have to do that!"

Lily bit her lip. She was dying to do something for her son, buy him something nice after al the abuse the Dursleys had given him. "Honestly Harry, I want to." She flashed him a smile and walked up to the pearly truck. "Two fudge pops, please." The hairy man inside handed over the goods and Lily laid a few Muggle pounds on his aluminum counter.

Harry looked at the ice cream guiltily. "I'll pay you back," he said weakly, and took the treat from her.

Lily rolled her eyes. "It's nothing. Se ripped off the brown paper packaging and bit into the fudge pop. "I take it you don't get a lot of special attention from the Dursleys, eh?"

Harry considered this while he licked his own pop. "I guess you could say that. They never really liked me from the start."

Lily almost laughed at this. It was clear that the Dursleys held more than "dislike" for Harry. More like enmity. "Why's that?" She asked casually.

She could see Harry getting nervous, and slightly regretted her question. Still, she did want to know more about Harry's life at Privet Drive. Maybe there was another reason, a detail that Arabella Figg neglected to inform Dumbledore of, a glitch in Harry's angelic behavior? Something other than him simply being what he was? "Well…" Harry said slowly. "They hated my parents."

Once again, Lily wanted to slap herself. Stupid! She **had** to stop mentioning James and herself to Harry! She should have known that they played into Petunia and Vernon's hatred of him! Lily bit her tongue in punishment and imagined Dumbledore's expression if he found out that Harry discovered her true identity. Lily offered Harry a small, apologetic smile. "I'm sorry Harry. Your parents keep coming into our conversations. I really have to stop prying."

Harry smiled back but said nothing. They licked their cones and walked in silence again. Lily observed the people they passed. By then, many neighborhood families had piled into the park for a relaxing afternoon. Lily could see single mothers playing with toddlers on the slides, older grandparents sitting on benches with teenagers. However, the groups that caught her attention more than the others were the young parents playing with babies in the sand pits. It was déjà vu of a time long ago, when she and James would take baby Harry out on a nice day. While he was kicking and rolling in the sand, they would talk peacefully and share a kiss. Then James would take Harry in his arms and twirl him around, protesting that his son needed to get used to the open air so that he would be ready for his Quidditch days. She, Lily, would laugh and roll her eyes as Harry tried to pull James' hair out.

Lily watched the families again. It was such a peaceful scene, one she wished she could be a part of. It was her dream to have a family again. Remembering, Lily looked to her left. Harry stood there, ice cream in one hand, staring off into the distance.

It would take gradual steps, Lily knew this. But maybe she had found her family again.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Okay, not a terribly important chapter, just a little bonding for Lily and Harry. Next chapter will be Harry's OWL results. Should be interesting, nay?

Thanks to **magicgirl45852**, who _was_ reviewer #100 before I deleted those (cough) _other_ reviews.

Review! Come on, you know you love me!

Au revior, mon amors!

LaRohaZeta


	7. Of Dreams And Results

Well, I'm sick today, so I decided to stay home from school. Can you think of a better opportunity to update this story?

Just a note- a couple of people have asked if I'm going to make this a romance story for Harry. At the moment, I'm not planning on it. This is more a story about Harry discovering his mother and their relationship. It's a Harry/Lily fic, if you will. But not in a romantic way. Eww, you perverts! Don't be dirty ;-)

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter is the wonderful creation of Mrs. Jo Rowling!

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Tabitha checked her watch. "We'd better get back now. I have to start cleaning sometime, I suppose."

Harry nodded and followed her out of the park, through the iron gates and across the beaten sidewalk. He decided he had had enough of the park earlier when he spotted two children playing with a big black dog. The enormous mutt was rolling happily on the ground and barking as the two five-year-olds petted and rubbed its belly. He realized a little too late that he couldn't take his eyes off the scene, and the children's mother had glared at him. Harry reverted his eyes immediately and started walking with Tabitha.

Sirius seemed to be like a disease on his mind. Harry couldn't stop thinking about him; he was everywhere. A young father playing tag with his kids had a laugh just like his. A stray knocking over trashcans while chasing a tabby down the street ran in the same way. An aftershave model on the back cover of one of those Muggle magazines had the same stormy gray eyes. Even if he wanted to, Harry couldn't escape him.

The idea of being haunted by Sirius' spirit teased him for a while. He could picture it watching him, leaving signs to rub in the guilt. _You did this to me, Harry. I would be alive if it wasn't for you…_ But Sirius would never do that to him; he would never blame Harry for his death. No, Harry was definitely causing his own problems, as usual.

"Harry, are you coming?" Tabitha called from a few yards ahead. Harry realized that he had been walking so slowly that he had fallen behind. He caught up with her and matched her pace.

"So, er, what are you going to clean first?" He asked, partly to get Sirius out of his thoughts and partly to end the awkward silence.

Tabitha laughed at his fake interest. "Well, the kitchen, I suppose, and then I might move on the drawing room. I had a look at it yesterday. Filthy, I tell you. I know your aunt has been tired and all, but what a mess! I even found scorch marks on the door posts!" Tabitha exclaimed.

Harry smiled to himself. The scorch marks Tabitha was referring to had been there since two summers past, when the Weasleys had attempted to Floo into the Dursleys' fireplace and blasted the drawing room apart. Of course, he couldn't tell Tabitha this, but the memory was quite amusing.

They reached Number Four in a few minutes time. Harry saw that the Dursleys were still out. Desolately, Harry trudged over to the cupboard under the stairs. "Harry." Tabitha called suddenly. He turned to face her. She was grinning, and holding up two bottles of orange cleaning spray. "How'd you like to pay me back for that ice cream?"

o-o

Two hours later, Harry was dirty, exhausted, and aching, but happier than he had been for some time. He and Tabitha had spent the rest of the afternoon spraying, wiping, and polishing every appliance and piece of furniture on the first floor until it sparkled like a new cauldron. Now they were relaxing on the sofa, admiring their work.

"Looks nice, doesn't it?" Tabitha peered around the room.

"Sure does." Harry said, leaning his head back. "I didn't think we were _ever_ going to finish that bathroom, though."

Tabitha laughed. "I know! Oh, thanks for taking care of the toilet, by the way." She grinned sheepishly.

Harry grimaced. Tabitha had refused to clean the toilet after she found the gifts from Dudley floating inside it. "Yeah, no problem."

"That cousin of yours really is a disgusting boy." She said, rolling her eyes.

"I've noticed." Harry said flatly.

Tabitha sighed in response. "Oh my, I must have thrown out my back scrubbing those kitchen tiles! I'm aching all over…" She massaged her spine and winced.

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Harry gingerly poked his shoulders and rolled them in forward circles. A loud crack sounded through the room as he tilted his head to the side.

"Stiff, aren't you?" Tabitha said pityingly. "Wait here, I'll go get us some hot water bottles. Maybe then we'll be able to move again." Harry laughed weakly and Tabitha disappeared into the kitchen.

Harry leaned back and closed his eyes. He was exhausted, and the sickly fumes from the cleaning spray made him drowsy. Before he knew it, his eyelids were getting dangerously heavy, and started to close…

Harry shook himself awake. If he was going to sleep, he might as well do it in his own bed. He rose and walked into the kitchen to say goodnight to Tabitha, but when he stuck his head through the kitchen entranceway, she wasn't there. Harry blinked; he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing in her place. A man and a woman were in the kitchen instead, talking and leaning over a cradle. The man was thin and tall, with dark, disastrously messy hair that Uncle Vernon would have probably hacked off with a chainsaw if he'd been there. The woman standing next to him was shorter, but with flaming red hair and- when she looked up at the man- dancing, green almond-shaped eyes. The cradle they were hovering over had a tiny baby inside of it.

Harry moved closer, shaking. He peered into the cradle. The baby was laughing- the woman was tickling the bottom of its plump foot- but Harry could hear nothing. It was like someone had hit the mute button in his mind. Harry watched the baby's face, seeing the jet black fuzz on the top of its head. The baby stopped laughing suddenly, and opened its eyes wide. Harry started to tremble more violently when he saw them. They were emerald green. He looked back up at the couple next to the cradle. The woman's eyes were the exact same as her baby's. Sinking realization started to hit Harry, and the woman smiled at him as if she knew. When he looked towards the man, he found that his space was empty. It was just the redheaded woman, silently playing with her baby, but with no smile, a more hollowed look in her eyes and tiny wrinkle in her forehead.

Harry's eyes snapped open. He sat up quickly and looked around. With a wave of shock, he realized that he was out of breath and drenched in sweat, as if he had just run a mile. He stood up and raced into the kitchen. "Tabitha, I actually don't feel all that well. I'm going to go have a lie-down in my room." He lied smoothly, his heart pounding so loudly he was sure she could hear it.

Tabitha looked concerned. "Are you going to be all right?"

"Yes, fine." With a wave of his hand, Harry vanished into the cupboard and shut the door firmly behind him.

Once he was lying on his bed, he was able to think more clearly. What had that dream been about? Why had his parents come to visit him while he was sleeping at a time like that? He half-wished he had been dreaming about Voldemort or Sirius instead. At lest those thoughts made sense.

But the Potters? Harry rubbed his temples and sighed. They didn't belong in his dreams. It was too confusing to think about. The dream itself made sense; it first started out as the happy family of James, Lily, and he, Harry. But when he looked away, James was gone. _Well, I get that part._ He thought to himself. _Dad disappearing symbolizes his death. But what about Mom-_

A sharp fluttering of wings against his window interrupted Harry's thoughts. He looked up, and a large brown barn owl hooted at him. Harry flopped off his bed and moved to open the latch. The large bird flew inside, dropped a letter on his bed, and flew back out. Harry could tell from its business-like manner that it was one of the school owls. He picked up the letter and read the front.

_Mr. H Potter_

_The Cupboard Under The Stairs (again)_

_#4 Privet Drive_

_Little Whinging, Surrey_

**NOTE: O.W.L. RESULTS ENCLOSED**

Harry undid the wax seal on the back with shaking hands. He slipped a careful hand into the envelope and pulled out three pieces of heavy parchment inside.

_Dear Mr. Potter _

_Attached are the results of the Ordinary Wizarding Level tests you took last June. A class list is also enclosed. We congratulate you on your hard work and hope you will continue to make your school proud in the years to come._

_Sincereley,_

_Griselda Marchbanks_

_Head Examiner_

Harry threw the paper away and looked at his results next.

_Astronomy…………………………………………A_

_Care Of Magical Creatures…………………… O _

_Charms…………………………………………… E_

_Defense Against The Dark Arts……………… O_

_Divination…………………………………………D _

_Herbology…………………………………………A_

_History Of Magic…………………………………P_

_Potions…………………………………………… E_

_Transfiguration………………………………… E_

It took Harry several minutes to register what he had read. He had done extremely well, much better than he had expected. Of course, the two failing grades were to be expected; Harry was far from gifted at Divination, and due to circumstances out of his control, Harry was not able to complete his History of Magic examination. Thinking back to that particular day, Harry realized with a pang that he would not be able to tell Sirius about his scores…

To take his mind off his godfather, Harry looked back at his scores and skimmed down to one he had missed- Potions. An Exceeds Expectations was better than he had expected, but Harry's mood sank lower when he realized what it meant. Professor McGonagall had told him that Snape only accepted Outstanding students, and nothing less. He wouldn't be able to take Advanced Potions class, and therefore wouldn't be able to become an Auror.

Pushing aside bitter thoughts of the Potions Master, Harry reached for the past piece of parchment, the list of his classes.

_Mr. Harry Potter,_

_Your sixth year classes will be as follows: Advanced Transfiguration, Advanced Charms, Advanced Defense Against The Dark Arts, Advanced Potions, and Advanced Astronomy. Your elective class will continue to be Care Of Magical Creatures, as it is the elective you passed. A more precise schedule will be given upon your arrival at Hogwarts._

_Best Wishes,_

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Deputy Headmistress_

Harry did a double take when he reached the part about Advanced Potions. Surely, it had been a mistake? He hadn't met Snape's expectations and received an O. So how was it that…?

Another, smaller, piece of parchment that Harry hadn't noticed before fell onto the bed. He picked it up and read the short message.

**To All Students Who Received An 'E' Or Higher On Their Potions O.W.L.: After discussion with the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Professor Snape has agreed to lower the acceptance grades into his N.E.W.T. class. As of now, any student who received at least an 'E' will be able to take Advanced Potions.**

Grinning, Harry folded all three pieces of paper and put them on his night side table. He would be able to become an Auror after all! Deciding to sleep on that thought, Harry shut off his lamp and rolled over, drifting off not long after, without a thought of his parents or the strange dream he had had earlier.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

So, what did you all think of the O.W.L. results? It took me a while to decide what grades Harry should get. I'm pretty sure I got the classes right, but review and let me know if you see a mistake.

Trivia question: Okay, this involves a bit of digging, people! Special mention in the next chapter goes to any reviewer who can figure out what food I have mentioned in both Au Pair and A Hogwarts Tale! Good luck!

Thou shalt review, or be condemned to feel my wrath!

May The Force Be With You,

LaRohaZeta


	8. Nightmare And A Rendezvous

Hey all! I have a few things to say before the story is continued…

On food: Good guesses, everyone! The food I was thinking of that was mentioned in both Au Pair and A Hogwarts Tale was actually fudge pops (Tabitha bought one for Harry in Au Pair and Peter accidentally ate a cursed fudge pop in A Hogwarts Tale). Special thanks to **ERMonkey Burner Of Cookies** (cool name, btw) for correctly guessing first! Also, thanks to **Zabeth0322** for being even more specific, and to **Tsar Kelsey** for giving an alternative answer that I didn't even think of! You guys rock!

A lot of people have written that Harry did too well on his Astronomy O.W.L. Well, I'm not so sure about that. Harry did pretty well on the theory part, as the book says, "the Astronomy theory exam on Wednesday **went well** enough; Harry was not convinced that that he got the names of all of Jupiter's moons right, but was at least confident that none of them were inhabited by mice". And, he also got 2/3 of his star chart completed on the practical exam, so given the circumstances, that's not very bad at all. I really don't think he would have _failed_ the exam, but he sure didn't get an Outstanding. (FYI: the passing grades on the O.W.L.s are Acceptable, Exceeds Expectations, and Outstanding. The two other grades, Poor and Dreadful, are not considered passes. I gave Harry an Acceptable, the last pass grade.) In total, Harry received seven O.W.L.s.

**Disclaimer:** Everything belongs to the master, J.K. Rowling!

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

_The small interior of the church house was covered in so much white fabric, some of the guests believed it to be magical snow. White drapes hung loosely from the ceiling and white curtains were strung up against the walls. A long white carpet ran straight through the rows of wooden benches, forming an aisle. And on the aisle, walking slowly and proudly towards the front of the room, was the blushing bride._

Lily stared ahead, trying to ignore the scores of eyes upon her. The only ones she cared about were the hazel ones ten feet in front of her, gazing back. Those were the eyes that she fell in love with, and those were the eyes she was going to marry that day.

_She reached the altar in what seemed like years. Turning to face James, Lily took a deep breath and waited for him to pull down her veil. James did, and revealed the mass of red hair that was hiding underneath. They both turned to the priest, smiling, and listened to his speech. To Lily, his words blurred together to form some meaningless haze. What really mattered was the large, strong hand she was holding; the hand that was so skillful with a wand, so steady with a broomstick, and so gentle in hers._

Lily watched James say, "I do", and then looked back at the priest and repeated his vow. It was time for the kiss that would officially make them husband and wife. Lily turned towards James, smiling, and- stopped. Her bouquet fell to the ground, a soft thump on the cushiony carpet. Her mouth opened and she started to scream when she saw- not James- but a towering figure in a dark cloak, with evil, blaring red eyes like flames. Laughing menacingly, he let go of Lily's hand and whipped out a wand. He pointed it at her heart and the church room went green.

Lily bolted out of bed. Gasping, she snatched the wand on her bedside table and held it out in front of her like a weapon. After searching all corners of the guest bedroom, she exhaled, and lowered her wand. _A dream, _she told herself firmly. _It was only a dream…_Lily took several deep breaths and wiped a bead of sweat off her forehead. She looked at the clock sitting on the table. It read 11:53 PM. Rolling her eyes and swearing, she heaved herself out of bed and touched the cold wooden floor of the bedroom with her bare feet. It was pointless to try to go back to sleep; that nightmare had pretty much ruined any chances of more slumber. She thought she might as well go down to the kitchen and get a glass of water. Slipping into her shoes and robe, Lily walked quietly out of her room and down the stairs. She pulled the thin robe close to her as a chill traveled up her spine. She felt cold, although it was a warm mid-July night.

The Dursleys had come home earlier that evening, shortly after Harry had retired to bed. Lily had just enough time to whip them up a fast dinner before they came marching back into the house. As they had eaten it, they had grilled her on what she did all day, if Harry had really stayed in his room like he was supposed to, etc. Petunia had commented on the clean house, apologized stiffly for the inadequate condition of the first floor, and then trudged up to her room where she claimed she would take a hot bath (her doctor had recommended she take one every other night, explaining how good it was for the undeveloped baby). Vernon and Dudley had followed her soon after, and Lily was left alone with her thoughts and the dirty dishes. She had finished most of them when she decided to call it a night and get to bed.

Just as she was about to enter the kitchen again, post-nightmare, Lily stopped. A light was coming from inside. Tightening her grip around the wand in her robe pocket, Lily searched for the source of the light. There, in the corner, was Dudley leaning into the open refrigerator. His entire torso fit miraculously inside, and the only way Lily could tell it was him was from his massive behind.

"Dudley? You're up late." She relaxed her wand hand and removed it from her pocket.

The large boy removed his face from the refrigerator and squinted at Lily. "Yeah, so?" He said in a gruff, rude voice.

Lily clicked her tongue at him and said nothing. She really _did not_ like this boy. She busied herself by taking out a glass from the cabinet and pouring water from the tap into it. While she was doing this, Dudley took out a massive chocolate cake and cut off a small sliver. He placed the sliver onto the platter and put it back in the fridge. He then began to shovel the rest of the cake into his mouth (A/N: Got that from Garfield comics…). By the time he was finished, he had huge blobs of icing and crumbs spread around his face like a disgusting beard. Dudley didn't bother with a napkin. Licking his mouth, he said, "My parents told me they're paying you to be their servant." He belched loudly.

Biting the inside of her lip, Lily replied, "That's not quite what my job is."

Dudley shrugged as is he couldn't care less. "You're an auper, right?" He scrunched up his face at her.

"_Au Pair._" Lily corrected him.

"Whatever. Aren't aupers all from, like, Brazil?" Dudley asked stupidly.

"No, not that far east." Lily waited to see if he caught her sarcasm.

Dudley grunted, but said nothing. He obviously believed that Brazil was in Asia. Lily refused to accept that she was related to someone so thick.

Dudley went back to the refrigerator and took out a pint of cola. He chugged it all in one nauseating gulp and looked at Lily again. "So, if my parents are paying you to do stuff for them, does that mean I can boss you around?" He asked her in an irritatingly superior tone.

Lily scowled. "No, it doesn't." She spoke sharply, seething.

"Hmm." Dudley didn't notice her anger. "You look pretty old. Why don't you have a family back in Brazil? Didn't anyone want to marry you?"

Lily was red-faced and shaking. She couldn't believe she was supposed to put up with this! Just as she was about to raise her hand to smack Dudley across that dumpy face of his, an odd thing started to happen. The kitchen lights started to quiver and shake, dimming off and back on again. Sparks flew off the bulbs and through wires. All the appliances on the Dursleys' countertop trembled; the coffee maker, microwave, toaster and can-opener seemed like they were coming to life. And, unexpectedly, the cola bottle exploded in Dudley's hands, blasting tiny fragments of plastic into his face and drenching him with sweet carbonated water.

"Aaarrgghhh!" Dudley shrieked. He flung the liquid and plastic bits off his arms and large body. _Dudley always seems to be covered in some kind of food_, Lily thought amusingly. "Don't just stand there! Get me a towel!" Dudley yelled at her. This time, Lily couldn't control herself. She grabbed the dishtowel hanging over the sink and flung it at Dudley's face. To her satisfaction, it left an angry red mark on his cheek. Dudley mopped himself up and dropped the towel on the linoleum floor indifferently. He glared at her again, although this time his eyes looked afraid.

Lily realized that she was supposed to look afraid as well. She plastered an intimidated expression on her face and, eyes wide, whispered, "What was that?"

Dudley looked towards the ceiling, trembling. "Potter…" he said inaudibly, but Lily heard him. She pretended not to, though. Dudley was pale and his teeth were clattering. A silence filled the kitchen before a clanking on the floor made Dudley jump and shriek and run up to his bedroom.

Lily looked to see where the noise had come from. A spoon, which had been sitting on the edge of the counter, had started to wobble when her accidental magic was set off. It had fallen moments later, and scared the living daylights out of Dudley.

Chuckling quietly, Lily picked up the dishtowel Dudley had been using and put it back in the sink. She knew it wasn't very aunt-like of her to laugh at her nephew's expense, but he was such a rotten boy. Nothing like Harry at all.

o-o

When Lily woke up the next morning (at a proper hour this time), she was surprised to find a letter addressed to her sitting on her dresser. She recognized Dumbledore's seal on the back, and realized that Fawkes must have left it for her while she was sleeping. Lily ripped out the letter and read it to herself.

_Tabitha,_

_Harry's O.W.L. results were sent to him last night at around 8:00. Hopefully, you didn't already know this. I thought that, as Harry's mother, you would like to see how he did. His scores were as follows:_

_Astronomy…………………………………………A_

_Care Of Magical Creatures…………………… O _

_Charms…………………………………………… E_

_Defense Against The Dark Arts……………… O_

_Divination…………………………………………D _

_Herbology…………………………………………A_

_History Of Magic…………………………………P_

_Potions…………………………………………… E_

_Transfiguration………………………………… E_

_Harry did very well on these tests, just as I expected. You should be very proud of him._

Albus 

Lily grinned widely and held back a cheer. Harry had gotten seven O.W.L.s! That was amazing; it was the exact same amount that James and Sirius had gotten twenty years previous! Although it was not the first time she'd felt like this, it was great to be a proud mother.

"What do you think, James?" She whispered to the ceiling, and went off to make breakfast.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Okay, so: nightmare, Dudley, O.W.L.s. A productive chapter, no?

Trivia Question: A pickle goes to anyone who can name the other item(s) that exploded at the Dursleys' house (from the books, I mean).

Well, I'm off to get ready for my dance recital! Wish me luck! And review!

Ta ta!

LaRohaZeta


	9. Occlumency

So, for a while now, I've been thinking about where I'm going with this story. I know, it's pretty early on, but I think its good for all writers to have a rough plan of their work. During my though process, I came to several conclusions:

A) I'm seriously considering putting A Hogwarts Tale back on the shelf. I'm just not that excited about it anymore; it's taking time away from Au Pair and I don't really see myself seriously working on it. Before you all plunge stakes into my heart, you should know that I might start it up again when Au Pair is finished. But that brings me to my next point:

B) I've thought of a lot of roads this story could take, and I realized that I like them all too much to cut back. So, after Au Pair is finished, I might do a sequel. I think Au Pair will end on Harry's birthday, July 31st, and the sequel will go through August until September 1st. I have an awesome finale for this fic and I already have a KILLER ending for the sequel (it's making me excited just think about it!). Review with your thoughts!

C) Should I answer review responses? I think it encourages the reader to review when they feel that the author cares about their opinion. Which I do. Greatly. 8-D

Thanks to **IamSiriusgrl** for reviewing and guessing first! Yes, Aunt Marge exploded. And to **Neurotica**, for going _very_ in depth (LOL) and to everyone else who reviewed! Here are your pickles: (do those even look like pickles?)

**Disclaimer: **It' not mine!

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"So, I heard about your little episode with Dudley last night." Harry stated humorously. He and Tabitha were setting the kitchen table the next morning, waiting for the Dursleys to come down to breakfast.

"How did you hear about that?" Tabitha asked, shocked. She was moving swiftly around the table, an arm full of forks, and setting them down next to the plates Harry had already put out. She looked up when Harry spoke.

"I, er, heard the whole thing." Harry said with a small smile. Tabitha reddened and looked down. Harry knew she felt sorry for taking his room. That was just the kind of person Tabitha was. "It's no big deal. I don't mind. Really." He assured her, taking a stack of glasses from her arms.

"Thanks." Tabitha seemed to understand. She continued to unload the cupboards, pulling out bowls and platters. She heaved them onto the counter, where Harry took them and dragged them over to the kitchen table. He slammed this load down a bit too hard, however. One chinaware soup dish teetered dangerously and smashed to the floor.

"Oh damn." Harry moaned softly, and hurried back to the table to pick up the pieces. When he looked up at Tabitha, he was surprised to find a stern and disapproving expression on her face, as if she didn't approve of his language. But Harry couldn't imagine why.

Tabitha seemed to recover. "Let me help you." For one wild second, it looked to Harry as though Tabitha made a motion similar to reaching into her pocket and using a wand to fix the soup dish. But that couldn't be… No, Tabitha recovered and swooped down upon the tiny fragments of clay, gathering the duller, larger pieces in her palm and leaving the rest on the floor. "Be a dear, and get the vacuum, Harry." Harry retrieved the vacuum from the store closet across from his 'bedroom' and brought it back to her. Tabitha plugged it in and cleaned up the mess in about ten seconds while Harry blubbered his apologies. Tabitha waved them off and placed the vacuum back into the closet. Together, Harry and Tabitha finished preparing breakfast for the Dursleys. Harry had just enough time to grab a quick bite to eat before the unmistakable thundering on the stairs announced the Dursleys' inevitable arrival. Harry ducked into his cupboard and shut the door quietly. He was able to hear the Dursleys eating through the thin walls. Vernon was talking to Tabitha, and she was answering him in that same flat voice she always addressed the Dursleys with.

**Uncle Vernon:** "I apologize for our late return last night."  
**Tabitha:** "Not a problem. How did you sleep?"  
**Vernon:** "Fine. Petty here has a bit of a backache, though."  
**(Moaning and groans from Petunia)  
****Tabitha:** "If you'd like, Mrs. Dursley, I can show you my mother's old remedy for aches and sores."  
**Petunia:** "Please do."  
**Tabitha:** "You need to take a freezing cold wash cloth and wrap it over a slice of lemon-"  
**Petunia:** "My mother had a remedy just like that one!"  
**Tabitha:** "You don't say? (Pause…) Mr. Dursley, would you like some more tea?"  
**Vernon:** "Yes. Did the boy stay in his room all night?"  
**Tabitha:** "I believe so. I wouldn't know; I stayed upstairs."  
**Vernon:** "And he didn't sneak any food?"  
**Tabitha:** "I don't think so."  
**Vernon:** "Good."  
**Tabitha:** "And where is young Dudley?"  
**Vernon:** "Still asleep, I imagine. Just let him rest for a while."  
**Tabitha:** "Very well."  
**Vernon:** "Well, I'm off to work. Oh, Ms. Royce, I'm stopping by at around one o'clock to take little Dudders to his boxing match. I'd like you to make me a pot of coffee with cream and put some of it in a mug, so I can take it to go."  
**Tabitha:** "Er, sure…"  
**Vernon:** "And do the laundry. The garden also needs weeding, if you don't mind. And of course, start cleaning the upstairs. I believe the toilet is clogged, so if you could just fix that, that would be great."  
**Tabitha:** "…"  
**Vernon:** "Well, goodbye now."

Harry heard the front door slam and the car tires scratch on the pavement. Uncle Vernon seemed to have left; Dudley was in his room. That only left Petunia in the kitchen, and as soon as she went upstairs to take her daily medication, Harry was going to grab a snack from the leftovers and head for the backyard.

Sure enough, Harry heard Petunia's footsteps from above him as she climbed the stairs. He undid the latch on the outside of his door (a trick he had learned during one of his imprisonments), and crept silently through the kitchen and out of the screen door. Once he was outside, he took out a rusty old lawn chair from the Dursleys' garage, hauled it over to the farthest corner of the backyard, and sat down. There, up against the white wicker fence, was a small area shaded by a late-blooming juniper tree. Some of its pale blossoms were spread around in the grass where they had fallen, and the quiet breeze was making them dance on the ground. It was quite a beautiful scene, and Harry would have noticed this if he hadn't been so focused on what he was about to do.

Harry fully believed that continuing his learning of Occlumency was both pointless and a waste of time. It had not helped him a month ago when he received that fatal dream from Voldemort, and he didn't see how it could help him anymore. If anyone tried to invade his mind again, he would just ignore it. No big deal. Simple as that. But Dumbledore wanted him to continue practicing Occlumency during the summer _and_ when he went back to Hogwarts. And what Dumbledore wanted, Dumbledore got.

When Harry had come back to the Dursleys' on the first day of summer holidays, he was surprised to find a letter waiting for him in his bedroom. He only had to glance at the small curvy handwriting on the front to see that it was from the Headmaster.

_Harry,_

_You have seen a tremendous amount of pain and pressure this past year, and I do not want to add another burden upon you. However, I must request that you continue your practice of Occlumency over the holiday break. I understand that you may not ever want to touch upon the subject again, but I feel it is completely necessary for you to be able to protect your mind from outside penetration. You will also be continuing your Occlumency lesson on your return to Hogwarts, however I think you will be somewhat relieved to know that I personally will be instructing you in place of Professor Snape. And, please- think of the lives that could be saved if you do this, and not the ones already lost._

_Albus Dumbledore_

After some creative cursing and throwing around of various pieces of furniture, Harry agreed to Dumbledore's wishes and wrote him back saying he would go on with his studies. But it didn't mean that he would enjoy it.

Now, nearly three weeks later, Harry was still obeying the Headmaster and practicing his Occlumency. It had been difficult for the first few weeks, mainly because with Aunt Petunia's constant tantrums, Dudley's whining, and Uncle Vernon's stomping around after Petunias, there was hardly ever any quiet at Number Four. But there were those few precious days like today where Uncle Vernon was out and Dudley and his mother were still sleeping. Harry was quite thankful for these.

Harry sat in the corroded lawn chair in a relaxed position with his hands in his lap and his feet stretched out in front of him, trying to clear his mind of all thought. This was a difficult task for someone such as The-Boy-Who-Lived, for thoughts were continuously swirling around in his much-too-stressed mind. It was a cool, breezy day- a nice break from the heat wave that had swept across southern England for the past week. A bit of cloud coverage passed by as well, allowing Harry to tilt his head back and close his eyes without having to squint out the light. The headaches he had received after practicing Occlumency in the sun had not helped him in the slightest.

In the swinging juniper tree above, a bird twittered softly. Another gust swept through the branches, making the leaves rustle and spin. Harry took a deep breath. The last few flowers from the tree gave off a sweet fragrance. It was a very rare, very peaceful scene. Harry was already tired from being kept up the previous night by Tabitha and Dudley, and the calm panorama was not helping. He relaxed his muscles and drifted off into a brief siesta.

o-o

Lily finished hurling the last few articles of sopping wet clothing into the dryer and shut the small door. She tapped a few buttons on the bottom of the machine and watched them spin around while a gentle buzzing noise filled the laundry room. She had finished the first of her day's tasks in only a few minutes. Lily smiled to herself. This whole cleaning thing wasn't so bad. She might even have a few extra minutes to spy on Harry. It had only been a few days since she'd met her son, but she was already turning into an over concerned mother.

She took the empty hamper into her arms and back into the kitchen. Resting it on the floor for a while, Lily decided to take a short break. She scavenged in the Dursleys' refrigerator and pulled out a few lemons, sugar, and water. She mixed equal parts of everything and poured the contents into a large glass pitcher filled with ice. Taking out a clean glass from the cupboard, wiped the inside on the sleeve of her uniform, and filled it with some of the drink. Lily brought the glass up to her lips tank took a swig. _Aahh. There's nothing like a glass of cold lemonade on a summer's day._ Lily had always loved the drink. She had tried to convert James onto it, but he always preferred to take it with a few flaming shots of Odgen's Firewhiskey and some salt. Lily assumed that that was Sirius' doing.

She smiled to herself at this memory, and looked out the window above the sink. The sky was a bluish-gray with a couple of stratus clouds lingering overhead. It looked to Lily that a summer storm was coming over. There was a very lovely tree in the corner of the backyard, which she had never noticed before. A few last white blossoms were still clinging to the olive-colored branches. And underneath the tree, resting peacefully on a lawn chair was- _Harry?_ _How did he get out there? _Lily was surprised. _He must have inherited James' sneakiness._

She took another glass from the cabinet and filled it with lemonade and ice for Harry. Carrying it outside carefully, she pushed the screen door open with her hip and walked across the lawn. She realized quickly when she was in close enough range that Harry was, in fact, sleeping. Lily tapped gently on his shoulder and he stirred. "Mmmph...what…?" He yawned hugely, and ruffled his hair.

Biting her lip to hold back laughter and feeling the sadness and nostalgia sink in her stomach again, Lily fought her emotions and won. She pulled on a smile for her son. "Sorry. I wanted to know if you'd like some lemonade."

Harry rubbed his eyes and grinned at her. "Yeah, that'd be nice. Sorry, I must have fallen asleep."

"Please. I'm glad you did. Dudley and I must have kept you awake last night." Lily handed him the glass of lemonade.

"Thanks." Harry put a hand out to take the glass, but stopped himself. "Actually, maybe I'll take a cup. I don't think I trust myself with glass anymore."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Those author's notes at the beginning took up a lot of room, so this chapter is longer than usual.

To people who reviewed telling me to hurry up and have Harry discover Lily quickly: I'm taking my time!Au Pairis not an action fic as of now, and I don't think it will turn into one. I'm trying to make each chapter interesting and different without giving too much information away to either side. Bear with me, and just enjoy it while it lasts. I know I am!

Never mind part C of my author's notes above. I'm posting review replies on my profile page. Look for them from now on!

Godspeed,

LaRohaZeta


	10. The Boxing Match

Just a note: A Hogwarts Tale is down. If you were a fan, then I apologize, but I did have my reasons (see previous chapter).

**Disclaimer:** No tengo la idea de Harry Potter. Es el libro fantastico de la Sra. Rowling!

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Miraculously, Lily managed to finish all her chores within the hour. After thoroughly making sure no one was watching, she had used a bit of magic to weed the garden. It was one of her least favorite tasks, and she avoided it whenever possibly. Though this was probably the reason her small house in London had a yard that resembled the Amazon, Lily hadn't really minded.

Now, at nearly one o'clock, she was sitting at the Dursleys' kitchen table, waiting for Vernon to arrive. His mug of coffee was sitting on the counter as requested. Though Lily had rolled her eyes widely as she poured the drink into the mug, she realized that she hadn't really expected any better treatment. Petunia was screwed up in the head, to put it bluntly. Lily had learned this long ago. And from the few times she had met Vernon, she knew he was just as bad, if not worse. Of course they would treat their help like mud. It was in their nature to be condescending to anyone they believed wasn't as good as them. But if they knew who she was… Lily amused herself for a moment, thinking of the Dursleys' reaction if they found out that Petunia's long-dead "miscreant" sister was working as their maid. But of course, they couldn't know.

o-o

Harry wasn't able to go back to sleep after Tabitha had woken him, so he got himself up and dragged the fold-up chair back into the garage. By then, then the sky had darkened significantly. It seemed like shadowy gray creatures loomed hauntingly overhead, not rain clouds. Harry made an educated guess when he assumed that rain would shortly be coming.

Harry entered the house as the first raindrop hit his nose. _Good timing_, Harry thought. He moved out of the way and let the screen door slam shut behind him. He also closed the heavier wooden door behind it so that the rain would not come in. Harry started walking into the hall, but halted when he saw Tabitha cross the room, looking frustrated and ticked off.

He walked towards her, intending to ask her what was wrong. Instead, he stopped. The reason for Tabitha's distress was apparent. She had the telephone clutched to her ear and someone was shouting noisily on the other end. Tabitha seemed to have spotted Harry at the entranceway, and he gave her a questioning look. In response, she showed him her index finger, signaling to wait for a minute. Tabitha turned and listened to the person at the other end of the phone call, grunted a few times, replied "will do", and clicked the off button.

"Who was that?" Harry asked her.

"Your uncle." She said stiffly, moving to shut the windows and keep the rain out. "He's caught in traffic, and won't be able to take Dudley to his boxing match. Since Petunia obviously can't drive, Vernon asked me to do it."

"You're kidding?" Harry raised his eyebrows. Tabitha shook her head in response. "Well, then, I'll go with you."

Tabitha considered this. "You're not allowed to leave the house. Won't Dudley tell his parents?"

Harry smiled evilly. "I have a feeling he won't want to mention a thing."

o-o

Ten minutes later, Lily, Harry, and Dudley were piled into the Dursleys' second car and were getting ready to leave the driveway. Lily was in the driver's seat with Harry next to her. Dudley sat in the back with his boxing gear next to him. He had wanted to take shotgun, but Lily, sensing a fight between the two boys, asked Dudley patiently if he _really_ wanted his lunatic cousin coming close to his equipment. Dudley shot Harry a resolute glare from the back seat, and receive a withering look in return. Lily winked at Harry, and he smiled at her. After their game of faces was over, Lily spoke.

"Do you have everything, Dudley?" She questioned him. Settling for a groan from the large boy in the back, Lily looked down at the car controls. She put the keys in the ignition and started it up carefully.

"Er, you _do_ know how to drive, right, Tabitha?" Harry looked at her nervously.

"Of course." In truth, Lily did know how to drive a car. She had learned about them in Muggle Studies class at Hogwarts, and had taken driving lessons while she was living by herself in London, realizing it was the best way for her to get around while she was disguised as a muggle. It had simply been a while since she had driven, that was all.

Lily realized that the knowledge of cars she had gained inside and out of Hogwarts was coming back to her. _It's like riding a broomstick_, she thought. Lily winced as the car went straight over a pothole. _Well, not exactly._

Before she knew it, they had made it to the gym. Lily was surprised how accurate Dudley's directions were. She hadn't expected him to remember the place he went to train at every week.

"You can park right here." Dudley said, bored, as Lily drove the car into the entrance of the gym.

"Wait, what do you mean, park?" Lily looked back at her nephew.

"I mean, park the car here." Dudley sneered and instructed her as if she were stupid. "You have to come in with me. I need an adult with me to get admittance."

Lily muttered, "Your father seemed to have forgotten that tiny detail…" Dudley didn't her her, but Harry did, and snickered.

Dudley tried to get Harry to carry his bag for him, but his cousin threw it back in his face. Angrily, Dudley tossed the heavy sack at Lily, who was forced to lug it into the gym, all the way to the back door of the changing room where Dudley finally took it, leaving Lily and Harry sitting alone on the wooden bench until he came out in his uniform. Lily had to stifle a laugh when she saw Dudley's bright purple uniform, and his enormous form barely squeezed into it. Harry didn't bother holding back his laughter, and let loose hearty cackles at the sight. Dudley glared at him and started putting on his lavender gloves. He climbed the stairs that led to the large boxing ring in the middle of the back room. Already, groups of people were gathering towards the ring and taking seats on the benches that ran across the room. These people mostly looked like parents and friends of the participants. Lily gestured to Harry for him to follow her, and they climbed through the rows, looking for a place to sit. They found an empty space a few benches away from the ring, and sat down in them.

Now, a skinny middle-aged man with an unfortunate hairdo climbed up the stairs to the boxing ring and faced the audience. Lily could see that he was holding a microphone in one hand, and a clipboard in the other. The man nodded to someone below him, and a loud bell rang throughout the room. Most of the people in the audience quieted quickly. The man cleared his throat, and began to speak into the microphone.

"_Ladies and gentlemen! I welcome you all to the Brunningfield Gym! The boxing match of today, July seventeenth, will be quite an exciting one! Now, I give you, the contenders!_

"_In this corner is Brunningfield's reining champion, Smeltings student Dudley Dursley!" _A fair amount of applause sounded through the room. Lily and Harry smacked their hands together a couple of times, but that was the extent of their support for Dudley.

"_And in my other corner, we have a newbie to the magnificent sport that is boxing- ladies and gentlemen, I give you Ben Jennings!"_ More people applauded. _"Let the match begin!"_ The announcer signaled to the bellman again and hurried out of the ring. Another bell rang, and the boxers began to fight.

o-o

Harry knew he would never admit it to anyone, but he thought Dudley was actually pretty good. He blocked most of the punches Ben Jennings threw his way, and hit many himself. For a while, it looked as though Dudley would win. He had cornered Jennings and was shooting heavy punches his way. But Dudley's problem wasn't that he was weak or had bad aim; Dudley's fist made contact with Jennings' mouth several times, and once Harry saw a drop of blood roll down the poor boy's mouth. No, Dudley's issue was that he was simple too overweight to be that speedy, and Jennings, who was a skinny thing compared to his opponent, dodged every which way to avoid Dudley's massive fist. He was quick and light, but had a good amount of force on him, as he soon showed. Before long, Ben Jennings had Dudley lying on the ground.

"Hit him, hit him!" Harry cheered despite himself.

"You're rooting for Dudley?" Tabitha's eyebrows shot up.

Harry shook his head, his eyes still on the match. "No, Ben Jennings."

Harry's wish came true not long after. In a rush of adrenaline, Jennings hit Dudley so hard that he had to struggle to raise himself up. He was too late, though; the bell had already rang, signaling the end of the match. The announcer took back his microphone, and shouted into it, "_And the winner is Ben Jennings!"_ He held up Jennings' hand and waved it in their air for the audience to see. They were clapping and cheering loudly, clearly glad that the underdog was taking home the prize.

Dudley slinked away, off of the ring, and Harry and Tabitha took that as their signal to leave. "Well, _that_ was fifteen minutes of my life wasted." Harry sighed.

Tabitha laughed. "Come on, we should meet Dudley by the door." The squeezed through the rows and left the boxing room just as the announcer started to introduce the next match. _"Next up, Willy Morgan against Jeffery Bendel…"_

Out in the main room of the gym, they sat waiting for Dudley to change. Suddenly, the locker room doors burst open, and out marched an extremely agitated Dudley. He greatly resembled his father when he was angry, meaning he could have been mistaken for a very unpleasant looking pumpkin. Dudley glared at Harry and Tabitha and started towards the gym exit, dragging his bag behind him.

"Great job, Dudders!" Harry called sarcastically to him. Dudley made a very rude hand gesture in response to his cousin, and left his two escorts hurrying in his wake.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

This chapter was a little different. I thought a nice change of scenery would refreshthe storya bit.

Trivia Question: Who thinks they know how I got the name of Dudley's opponent, Ben Jennings? It _is_ from someone pretty well-known, so you might know who he/she is! (Their name is not exactly Ben Jennings) A marshmallow goes to anyone who can tell me why the person is famous!

I want extra reviews to make up for last chapter! I know it's not your fault, guys; it's the fault of the Website-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named.

Be Cool!

LaRohaZeta


	11. Sympathy Cravings

Hey everyone! I'm sorry this update is a little late, but I've been in a not-so-hot mood lately, and I really couldn't push myself into writing. I hope you all understand.

Great job with the trivia question, everyone! Wowee. I believe **GinnyGin** had the first correct guess, and **magicgirl45852** gave a great alternative! Thankssss amigossss!

**Disclaimer:** I really hate disclaimers.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Vernon arrived home later that night; a few hours after Harry, Tabitha, and Dudley came back from the boxing match. Harry had been sitting in the kitchen, enjoying a snack while Tabitha cooked dinner for the Dursleys, when he heard his uncle's car screech up the driveway. Tabitha ran straight for the door, Harry right after her, planning to dart into his cupboard unnoticed. However, the key started to turn in the lock before he had the chance. Harry ducked behind a curtain and Tabitha stood in front of him, obscuring him from view. Just in time, Vernon entered the house in his usual rambunctious way, tossed his heavy briefcase at Tabitha, and peered up the staircase, not noticing Harry at all.

"Dudders? Are you up there? Come down, you have to tell me all about the match!" He yelled up.

Fairly soon, Dudley came thundering down the steps, much to Harry's annoyance. He winced, imagining the amount of dust that would have some falling down on his head if he had been inside his cupboard. Tabitha seemed to have noticed this too, for Harry could hear her click her tongue, however muffled, through the heavy curtain in front of him.

"Dudley! Here's my boy!" Vernon ruffled his son's hair proudly. "Tell me, just how bloodied up was your opponent? Did they tell you how long he'll be in the hospital for?" Vernon said all this while grinning.

Dudley turned slightly pink, and mumbled something incoherent. "What was that, Dud?" His father asked.

"I said he beat me!" Dudley said louder. He commenced to tell him what exactly had happened at the gym. By the end of the story, Vernon's fists were clenched into tight balls and he was growling angrily.

"This kid- what did you say his name was? This _John Jennings_, or whatever his name is, should not have been allowed to play. He obviously cheated." Vernon looked down at Dudley. "Why don't you go to your room, and I'll call up the gym and discuss a rematch. They'll certainly listen to me!" He assured him, as if no one could _possibly_ say no to Vernon Dursley. Dudley ran back upstairs, and Vernon turned to Tabitha. "Now, how has Petunia been all day?" He asked her.

"Alright, I think." Tabitha shrugged a little. "She's been upstairs for most of the day. Of course, I wasn't here when I took Dudley to his match, but that's as far a I know."

"And the _boy _is in his room? He didn't leave? He didn't sneak any food?"

Tabitha coughed discreetly. "Stayed in his room all day." Harry snickered a little, and Tabitha kicked him lightly to shut him up.

Vernon nodded. "Good. I'm thinking of letting him out tomorrow, as long as he apologizes to Dudley. Throwing food in his face, I don't know what the boy was thinking…" He muttered the last sentence to himself angrily. "Did you do all the cleaning? And the laundry?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Well, I've had quite a long day, so I'll just take my dinner in the parlor, Ms. Royce. And pour me a glass of brandy." Vernon slid off his jacket and threw it onto the chair beside him. He slumped down on the couch and turned the television on to the news.

Harry knew Tabitha was waiting for Vernon to become engrossed in his program before she left the room. Sure enough, Tabitha silently gestured for Harry to follow her down the hall. She walked him over to his cupboard and unlatched the door carefully. "I'll come back later with your dinner." She whispered in his ear, and pushed him into the tiny room.

o-o

Lily had brought Harry his dinner after Vernon had retired for bed so that he wouldn't notice the missing food. After taking away his empty plates, she went to her own room and fell asleep not long after.

She woke up the next morning with a splitting headache. Blinking a few times to get used to the morning light, Lily sat up in bed. She looked down at the alarm clock the Dursleys had left in the guest bedroom for her to use. 6:30. She had woken up a half hour earlier than necessary. Sighing, Lily looked the small desk calendar she had brought with her to put on her bedside table. It read "July 18th". Lily had trouble believing that she had only been at Privet Drive for about four days. It seemed like she had been in Harry's life for so much longer. Lily supposed Harry was the type of boy who you can get to know in a minute, who only required a couple of seconds' conversation to understand. Yes, it had helped that Lily had been following her son's life as closely as possibly through one Arabella Figg, but hearing about him and living with him were two entirely different things.

Lily finally got out of bed, leaving her thoughts under the covers, and trudged into the bathroom to brush her teeth. As soon as she started scrubbing in her mouth, Lily was interrupted by a scream.

"Aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!"

Lily dropped her toothbrush, spit into the sink, and dashed out of her room, trying desperately to follow the noise. It seemed to be coming from the Dursleys' room.

"Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Lily slid into the bedroom and spotted Petunia lying in her bed. Vernon was nowhere in sight. "Oh Mer- Oh God! What is it, Mrs. Dursley? Is the baby coming!" Lily asked her sister frantically.

Petunia sobbed and shook her head, then buried it in her pillows.

"What is it? Tell me, please!" Lily begged helplessly.

Petunia continued to moan and tousle, fat tears falling down her cheeks. "Need………_kumquats_."

"Wha-what?" Lily questioned in shock. "Did you say…did you say kumquats?"

Petunia nodded and became silent. For a moment, Lily wondered if she had fallen asleep. But these thoughts were proven wrong when Petunia jolted up in bed, grabbing Lily by the shoulders, and shaking her violently. "I SAID I NEED KUMQUATS! GET ME SOME KUMQUATS **NOW!**"

Lily raced out of the room and into the kitchen. _Please let there be kumquats somewhere…_ Lily opened every cabinet door, searched every closet space and pantry in the entire kitchen, but there was nothing there that even resembled a kumquat. What was she going to do?

Lily almost smacked herself at her stupidity. She was a bloody witch! She had seven years of magical education behind her, all to prepare herself for moments of crisis like these. Disgusted with herself, Lily ran back up to the guest bedroom and snatched her wand from her bedside table. She performed a quick summoning charm, focusing on the item she needed most, and a basket of kumquats appeared magically on her bed.

She grabbed the basket just before Petunia let loose another loud wail, and ran back into her room. Panting, Lily kneeled down beside her sister's bed and gasped out, "Here- fresh kumquats!" She spilled the basket onto the bed, the orange balls of fruit rolling every which way.

"What are these?" Petunia picked up a kumquat and examined it reproachfully.

"They're…they're kumquats." Lily replied nervously.

Petunia turned red, and hurled the fruit at the wall opposite her. Juice poured down the wall towards the ground and left a green stain on the carpet. Lily winced, thinking of how hard it would be to get that out later on. "I don't want these- these _things!" _Petunia screamed. "I need turnips and- and ketchup!" She moaned again. "Mmm, and chocolate. Lots of chocolate. Chocolate covered raisins, and mayonnaise. And the turnips and ketchup."

Lily bit her lip to hold back the rising vomit. "Very well, Mrs. Dursley. I'll do what I can." Lily walked back out of the room, and leaned against the wall, closing her eyes. Her headache was only getting worse, what with Petunia's screaming and all the running around she was doing. Almost as is she could read her mind, Petunia wailed again, and Lily charged back towards the kitchen. She couldn't risk doing so much magic at a time; she would have to find food the Dursleys already had. Again, she searched all through the kitchen, and found very little. Lily was so absorbed in her hunt that she didn't hear Harry come in behind her, yawning and stretching.

"Morning."

Lily was so surprised; she hit her head on the top of the cabinet she was looking in. "Harry! Oh, good morning. Petunia's not in a very good mood." She rubbed her head and told him all about his aunt's odd requests.

Harry laughed. "She's having her sympathy cravings again?"

Lily winced. "You mean she's done this before?"

"Oh yeah." Harry nodded, taking a banana from the counter. "Last week Uncle Vernon made me go out to the store and buy her chewing gum and sardines because she wouldn't shut up. Actually, I bet that's why he isn't in the house. Wanted to get out of the way before all hell broke loose."

Lily listened as the unmistakable sound of fifty kumquats rolling down the stairs filled the first floor, followed by fresh screams from Petunia, who was moaning something that sounded like, "cherries… gravy … papaya… garlic…"

"I honestly don't blame him."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Some more comedic relief…pregnant people are funny…please don't hurt me if you actually _are _pregnant, or once were pregnant.

Trivia Question: Just curious, but does anyone have a weird pregnancy story they'd like to share? My mom told me a great one the other day; maybe I'll tell you guys in the next chapter.

Awesome job with the reviews! I love you all dearly; unless you are also an author then you can't understand how great it feels to have people who enjoy my work!

All review replies are on my profile!

I'm out!

LaRohaZeta


	12. Suspicion

Hello everybody! I really enjoyed your pregnancy stories last week, so thanks! The one I planned on sharing really wasn't that great compared to yours, but I'll tell you anyway: when my mom was pregnant with me, she had these sympathy cravings for pomegranates. They were pretty much all she ate for those nine and a half months, but her liking for them ended there. She hasn't had them since. I always thought it was funny how much she detests them now- a few times, I've tried to sneak them into her food (a couple of seeds inside an omelet, buried under lasagna, etc.), but she's always caught me before she ate them. Weird, no?

Thank you sooooooooo much to **IamSiriusgrl** for being my 200th reviewer! You rock even harder than pregnant people!

**Disclaimer:** If I were J.K. Rowling, I'd be bathing in Franklins right about now.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Lily hurried back upstairs, tripping over a stray kumquat as she ran, and rushed back into Petunia's room.

"What do you want no-" but she stopped herself mid-sentence. Petunia had fallen asleep again.

Lily was about ready to rip her hair out and feed _that_ to Petunia, but instead, she gathered a mop from the kitchen and cleaned up her sister's mess. Sighing, she put the mop back in the broom closet and wandered back into the kitchen. Harry was sitting at the table, finishing his banana, and gazing out the window. Lily started to fix the cupboards that lay in disarray due to her food-searching frenzy.

"Need some help?" Harry offered kindly.

Lily turned to him and smiled. "No, thanks. Are you still hungry?" She gestured to the banana peel lying at his elbow.

Harry shrugged. "Not really."

"Well, let me at least make you some toast or something." Lily glanced at her watch. "Gods, it's already 7:30!" She exclaimed.

Harry smiled grimly. "I guess time flies when you're running around slaving after a mad pregnant woman."

Lily laughed and sniggered. Harry really was a lot like James. James, too, had had that wry, sarcastic sense of humor. Lily had trouble believing that she had used to hate that about him. It was amazing how quickly she had grown to love it, and then long for it when he was gone.

Harry had so few reasons to laugh anymore, and such tiny opportunities to smile. It seemed that the Dursleys, who had previously been a source of pain and torment towards him, had become an object of his amusement. As much as she was relieved, Lily was also concerned by this. It was her guess that Harry had faced such worse anguish from Voldemort and his Death Eaters, that the Dursleys didn't even seem like a threat anymore compared to them. Yet, it made sense. The worst the Dursleys could do to Harry was to take away his magical equipment and lock him in the cupboard. The worst that Voldemort had done to Harry was taking away Sirius.

Sirius was another subject that bothered Lily. Harry hadn't shown any real signs of grieving over his godfather. Anyone would be upset if their parent-figure had been taken away from them in such a harsh manner. So why was it that Harry hadn't said anything about it to her yet? It wasn't that Lily wanted her son to break down, or anything; she just wanted to make sure that he felt something. Dumbledore had told her once after James' death that her ability to feel made her human. Lily wanted- no, she _needed_ to know that Harry was still human, as foolish as she felt thinking those words.

But when she thought about it, Harry's reluctance to open up made sense. What sensible boy would reveal his innermost feelings to his aunt's housekeeper?

A _pop_ interrupted Lily's thoughts. She realized that Harry's toast was done. She quickly removed the bread slices from the toasters and laid them on a plate on the table, along with some butter and jam. Harry thanked her, and began to eat. When he finished, he wiped his hands on a napkin and carried the plate over to the sink. The clock on the Dursleys' kitchen wall now read 8:00.

"So, Harry, what do you have planned for the day?" Lily asked him as she took the plate from his hands, and lowered it into the dishwasher.

Harry hesitated. "Oh, I dunno. I thought I'd go outside and do some homework."

Lily nodded. "Do your teachers give you a lot over the summer?" It couldn't hurt to ask, right?

"Not really." Harry paused again, obviously nervous about the subject of his school.

"Alright, well, I'll call you in when lunch is ready. Or when Petunia goes on the rampage again. Either way, you'll be the first to know." Lily joked.

Harry laughed again, and disappeared into his cupboard. He reappeared with a handful of schoolbooks and a sack, which Lily assumed contained parchment and a quill. Harry noticed her watching him, and covered one of the book covers with his arm. Lily had just enough time to get a glimpse of the title- _The Standard Book Of Spells, Grade 5._ Harry flushed, and opened the screen door that led to the backyard. Lily frowned at Harry's carelessness. If she were a real Muggle, she would have been suspicious. But she smiled and nodded at him anyway, pretending that she didn't see it, and went back to the dishwasher.

o-o

Harry had been lying in the cool grass, doing homework for about half an hour, and was not making much progress. He guessed that it probably would have been easier if he were sitting on that too-comfortable armchair in Gryffindor Tower with Hermione helping him and Ron struggling alongside.

Smiling at the thought of his friends, Harry glanced back down at his book. He was currently doing History of Magic. Question fourteen asked, _"Describe the role of Uric the Oddball in the discovery of the Fwooper song's negative effect on the human psyche."_ Harry remembered reading something about this in one of his books, and for some reason, the image of Uric the Oddball in a toupee came to mind. He was about to check his bag for said book when he heard the distant, yet all familiar screech of an owl. _Hedwig_.

The snowy owl came swooping down towards Harry when she spotted him in the backyard. Harry quickly looked to see if Tabitha had been watching, but she was nowhere in sight. He reached out his arm, and Hedwig flew onto it and perched. She dropped a scroll of parchment onto the grass beside him, allowed him to stroke her feathers a few times, and flew off again.

Glad for the excuse to get away from his homework for the time being, Harry unscolled the letter. Immediately, the neat handwriting told him that it was from Hermione.

_Dear Harry,_

_I'm writing this from the airport terminal in Switzerland. My parents have decided to take me on that skiing trip that I missed over the winter break._

_I hope you're doing well. Ron owled me, and told me about the incident with your bedroom ceiling. Are you all right? You must have gotten in horrible trouble for that! I mean, you've already had several incidents with performing magic during the summer, so the Ministry must be furious by now! Of course, it's possible that they'll want to go easier on you now that they've acknowledged Voldemort's return. Either way, I want you to keep me posted on any news. Given, this wasn't as huge as the dementor episode last summer, but if anything strange or unusual happens to you, please let me know!_

_I'll be back in England by the middle of August. The Weasleys have invited me to stay with them at the end of the summer, and you as well. I'm sure Rom will be owling you about it any day now. I'll write again on your birthday, so make sure Hedwig is out around then! It might be a bit of a journey for her._

_Take care, please._

_Hermione_

Harry put down Hermione's letter very slowly, and then picked it up again. Now that he thought about it, Hermione was completely right. He hadn't realized this before, probably because so many things had happened on that morning of the 15th. First, he had been so happy to see Mr. Weasley for the first time all summer, then he had been worried about Tabitha noticing the floor, and also he had gotten angry and thrown food at Dudley. But once again, Hermione was completely right. Why hadn't the Ministry of Magic contacted him about that particular bit of accidental magic? They had sent him letters in the past, accusing him of performing magic that he didn't do. Was this really so different?

The only other time Harry had ever questioned the Ministry's watch on him was the summer before his third year, when he had made Aunt Marge blow up. The Ministry hadn't penalized him for it because it was the very same summer that Sirius had escaped from Azkaban. Otherwise, they would have been on him like a Horntail.

Harry supposed the reason for the Ministry's silence could have been the events of last June. Or maybe they were just tired of having to deal with him. Or maybe…it was something else?

Harry wondered for a moment if somebody _else_ could have performed the magic. Maybe someone from the Ministry had wanted to set him up again, like Umbridge had done with the dementors? Or might it have been one of his rivals playing a cruel joke on him? Draco Malfoy, perhaps? Or…Harry blanched. Or was it someone who wanted to hurt him? Possibly even…Voldemort? Harry shuddered, imagining how close Voldemort would have had to been to perform such a spell. But surely, the point of Dumbledore's protection spells were to protect him from exactly that. Plus, if Voldemort was going to come to Little Whinging, the first thing he would do wouldn't be turning Harry's ceiling a different color.

Deciding he had had enough of homework for one day, Harry gathered his books and supplies and piled them unceremoniously into his bag. Maybe he would wait until he was at the Weasleys' to finish his assignments.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Hmm, this chapter didn't quite turn out the way I planned. There was going to be a great scene about- wait, never mind, I'll just put it in the next chapter. ;-D

Trivia Question: THIS IS FOR EXTREME DIGGERS Who can figure out what Uric the Oddball in a toupee has to do with Fwooper song? I promise, it's not some crazy invention of Harry's; JK actually mentioned it in one of her books (hint hint). First one to review with the correct answer gets special mention in chapter thirteen, and their own heart from yours truly! ( 3)

All review replies are on my profile!

Happy Father's Day! (Or "Greeting Card Prostitution Day", as I like to call it. Get it? Because they're selling themselves…? Okay, maybe not.)

LaRohaZeta


	13. As The Sun Sets

School is FINALLY over, so this chapter is up sooner than planned. Expect that a lot for the next two months! Oh, about the trivia, right, right (gets out notes) uhh…let's see… a big thank you to **Ally French** for getting the correct answer first, and another thanks to **KeeraSango** for reviewing with the _exact _answer and for saving me a lot of typing time! Here's the answer: _"Uric the Oddball attempted at one time to prove that the Fwooper song was actually beneficial to the health and listened to it for three months on end without a break. Unfortunately, the Wizards' Council to which he reported his findings were unconvinced, as he had arrived at the meeting wearing nothing but a toupee that on closer inspection proved to be a dead badger." _Thanks a bunch!

**Disclaimer:** It all belongs to The One.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Harry stayed with Lily for most of the rest of the day. He helped her clean Petunia's mess and together they were able to get started on the decontamination of the second floor. Lily was very thankful for her son's help; she would never have been able to finish her work so quickly and easily if he hadn't been right beside her the whole time. Lily made dinner for the Dursleys and set aside a portion for her and Harry to eat later on when they were done with their chores.

The bad weather that had plagued them on and off for the past two days seemed to have finally cleared by evening; the sun had set magnificently at around seven o'clock, casting bright light and beautiful colors across southern England. The neighbors had shut their windows and closed the blinds, protecting themselves from the sunlight, but Harry and Lily had stopped, taking a break from their cleaning, to go outside and watch the sunset.

They now sat together on the curb, their legs stretched out loosely into the gutter, staring at the magnificent reds and oranges and pinks spread out through the sky like an artist's canvas. Lily had brought along chocolate and crackers, and Harry had grabbed a blanket from the Dursleys' linen closet, so the two were enjoying a little picnic. A silence had passed over them, albeit a comfortable one, as though both were too consumed in their thoughts to speak. This was undoubtedly true.

Lily was still thinking about Harry's mental state. Dumbledore had told her about his two friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Was it possible that he had already talked to them about Sirius? The Headmaster, though extremely useful for getting information on the major happenings in Harry's life, couldn't give Lily any information about what was going on in the mind and private life of her son.

Lily's thoughts were interrupted by a munching sound, breaking the silence. Looking quickly to her left, she saw that Harry was chewing noisily on a cracker. When he spotted her, he paused, and swallowed. "Sorry," he smiled. "Hungry."

Lily nodded and ate a piece of chocolate herself. That was when it hit her- how perfect was this opportunity? It was so serene and peaceful out there, ideal for deep moments between mother and son. Lily cleared her throat, and spoke.

"Harry, listen. Uh, your, uh, aunt told me what happened to you in June, about your godfather." Lily quickly cooked up this plausible lie. "And I know that, you know, I just met you a couple of days ago, and…erm, you probably don't want to, but, I mean, if you _did_, you could talk to me. I'll listen." She was shocked at how ineloquent she sounded.

Harry seemed to be surprised by this sudden declaration from Lily, because he didn't speak for several moments. A quiet "Thanks," was all he could get out after a while.

Lily nodded, feeling a little disappointed, and turned her head back to the sky. An awkward silence passed over them. By then, only a couple of pink rays of light were remaining in the sky. It had faded to a cool blue aquamarine, promising darkness in the coming hour. Lily felt the tension in the air, and tried to make small conversation.

"Pretty colors, eh?" She started lamely, feeling helpless. She had completely ruined any chance she had had at bonding with her son. Harry probably hated her now for bringing up painful thoughts of Sirius; he wouldn't ever want to talk to her again. No longer would they be able to eat ice cream together at Shrine Park, or laugh at Dudley's boxing uniform. Lily's dream, her only chance at happiness for the rest of her life, was gone because she had rushed into the moment. It was over.

"It was over…just like that…I…I didn't even…get a chance…to say…goodbye…" Harry's barely audible whisper snapped Lily out of her depressing thoughts. She turned back to him quickly, eyes wide in disbelief.

"To Sirius?" She whispered in return.

Harry nodded, and released a shaky sob. His shoulders were trembling and his eyes were closed tightly. "He was gone…so quickly…and…and…and I couldn't do anything…" Harry's sobs grew stronger now, and he was biting his lip so hard that it turned white.

Lily leaned towards him, placing a calm, comforting hand on his shoulder, though she was terribly excited about Harry's sudden display of emotion. "Tell me about it. What would you have done?" She asked him quietly.

Eyes still sealed shut, Harry lifted his head toward the sky. Lily spotted a glistening tear forming in one of the corners of his eye. "I don't know…it happened so fast…" Harry shook his head disbelievingly. He started to get more anxious. "Bellatrix was so quick…I would have done something, if I could have! I would have jumped between them-" Harry shut his mouth quickly, as if realizing that he was not confessing this to a wizard. In his shook, he opened his eyes, like he was seeing Lily for the first time that night.

Catching sight of the red and irritated bloodshot eyes, Lily's heart broke all over again. She fell speechless, unable to think of anything to say for the time being.

o-o

Realization of what he had said started to creep up on Harry like a taunting shadow. He was so embarrassed that he had just _opened up_ like that, almost to a complete stranger! Attempting to hide his rapidly growing red face, Harry looked towards the houses across the street on the other side of Privet Drive, but not really seeing them.

"I can't imagine anything harder than losing a loved one." Tabitha's hesitant, emotional words flowed into his ears. They were so filled with pain and guilt, Harry swore they could have been his own. "You blame yourself, don't you, Harry? We always do." Tabitha spoke knowingly.

Harry turned slowly to face her. "We?" He asked, to take the attention away from himself for the moment.

Tabitha nodded. "We." She affirmed. Harry waited patiently for her to continue. After a few more moments of silence, Tabitha spoke again. "I had a family once. A family, a real, genuine family. My husband was as close to perfect as a man could get, and my son was the same." Tabitha paused, and, to Harry's amazement, smiled at him. "He'd be at around your age right now."

Harry contemplated on prodding for more information, but after a couple of seconds, won his mental battle. "What happened to him?" He questioned her softly.

Tabitha's smile vanished. "A little while after my husband died, he…was taken."

o-o

Lily hated lying to Harry more than anything, but she realized that it was necessary. Besides, the story she made up wasn't _that_ far from the truth. But she couldn't and didn't want to elaborate on the details of this piece of fiction, and hoped Harry would take her silences as a hint.

"I'm…so sorry." Harry said heavily, as if he shared her pain. He didn't seem to have anything else to say to comfort her, so Lily decided to carry on.

"It was the most horrible period of my life. Well, you can imagine. I went off food, didn't speak for weeks, and became fitfully ill." Lily spoke all of this truthfully. "What was worse was that I didn't have any friends or family around me to help the grieving process." Harry nodded along with this, obviously thinking of his separation from Ron and Hermione during the summer. "I'm going to tell you this, because I think you can handle it. I thought about...ending it. Just stopping living. It would be so easy! I wouldn't have to feel the hurt anymore; I could just stop feeling, feeling everything that was painful and wrong. I believe that was the very worst time in my life. I had hit rock bottom."

"So what did you do?" Harry asked her inquiringly.

Lily gave him a small smile. "One day, years after it happened, when I woke up from another night of fitful sleep, I got out of bed and made a cup of tea, like I always did. When I finished it, I went to clean the mug in the kitchen sink. Now, when I leaned over the sink to turn on the faucet, I caught a glance of a framed picture sitting on the window ledge, of my son, from when he was a baby.

"It was like this wave had just crashed over me. All the memories of my time with my husband and son came rushing back. My husband was gone, I had acknowledged that. But my son- he was still out there! They had never found his kidnapper! He could have been a mile away, or a hundred miles away, but I still had a chance! There was that tiny, miniscule, little bitty chance that he was alive, out there, somewhere, waiting for me.

"And just like that, in those couple of seconds, I had found a reason to go on. It wasn't much; I knew that my hopes of returning to the family I had once had were long gone. But I could still have my son, as long as I kept hoping, and searching. That was the reason I didn't end my life, because I still had a chance! As long as I kept searching, kept _hoping_ for my son, there was a possibility that I could be happy again!"

By the time Lily had finished her speech, Harry had tears running freely down his face. His entire focus had been on her story, and once again Lily felt guilt for upsetting him by lying to him. But then again,ninety-eight percentof it had been true.

Harry wiped his eyes on his sleeve, and swallowed. "Do you think you'll ever find him?" He asked her sadly.

Looking down at Harry's wet face, Lily felt another rush of emotion course through her body. The boy was so real, so obviously human, so alive! It was exactly and everything more thanwhat she had hoped for.

"Maybe, Harry. Maybe."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Um, enough angst? Well that was, as we say at Harry Potter/Space Camp, _"One small step for chapter updates, one big step for Harry-Lily bonding!"_ Yes, I know, bad joke. Rub it in, why don't ya?

It's 2:15 AM, and I am falling asleep, even with all that coffee I drank earlier. Ah well. Oh, I need to think of a trivia question, don't I? Ok!

_Trivia Question:_ Reaallly, reaaallly easy one, guys- give me the **real **quote that I parodied five lines up, and who said it. This is so easy, I could cry. But I won't. I'll just sleep.

Night night! (Yawns)

LaRohaZeta


	14. What They Needed

Yo! Thank you, **ShOrTnSwEeT9013**, for guessing the correct answer to the trivia question first. The infamous Neil Armstrong said "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind". And I'd like you all to know that I'm trying my _very hardest _to not make lame-ass jokes like that anymore. Sorry.

I have a new story up, called To Die Laughing, and it's about this pact the Marauders make in their sixth year. It's only going to be a short one, about five chapters, so it won't take you long to read! Please check it out, and review to let me know how you feel! Thankies!

**Disclaimer:** I am deeply sorry to inform you that I own zilch.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Lily and Harry had fallen into a silence again, giving each other time to think their conversation over. Lily felt that she had done a good job at comforting Harry. At least, he wasn't crying anymore. Still, there was more to talk about, and Lily wasn't going to stop now.

"Harry." She spoke tentatively, wanting to break him into conversation slowly. "Can you tell me about Sirius? All Petunia told me was that you'd met him a few years ago, and he was killed…by his cousin. In June."

Harry gulped. Lily could see that he was thinking of a story fast.

o-o

Harry wasn't quite sure what to say. Obviously, he couldn't tell Tabitha that Sirius had died in a wizard's duel, or that he fell through a mysterious veil and didn't come out from the other side. Harry felt his eyes stinging at the memory, and a lump formed in his throat. Clearing it, he decided to give a refined, edited version of what had happened. A version that wouldn't make Tabitha suspicious.

"My friends and I…we were acting really reckless. We left school to…to do something, but ended up being in terrible danger." Harry paused, and nodded to himself, content with these first two sentences. Tabitha said nothing, so he continued. "Sirius…and his friends, they came after us, to help us. There was a fight…and people fell…" Harry closed his eyes, remembering, and trying not to remember at the same time.

"Sirius, he was always a fighter." Harry opened his eyes, and boared suddenly into Tabitha's. It was important that she understand this, for some reason. It was important to Sirius' memory. "He was always jumping into danger, ready to defend others too weak to protect themselves. He had this amazing sense of justice, you have no idea." Harry was going off on a tangent, he knew this, but he wanted Tabitha to realize what a loss Sirius was to the world, even if so few agreed.

"I know it doesn't sound that amazing, but it's really not a common thing at all. A lot of times, people are too strict with others, and then some are too easygoing. But Sirius, he just _knew_. He was a great judge of character, if nothing else. And always loyal. Always. Back when he was in school with my dad, they were incessantly defending their friend Wor- er, Peter." _It wouldn't do to have Tabitha know the traitor's nickname_. "Since Peter was so small and talentless, he was constantly getting picked on. But Sirius and my dad always stuck up for him, or so I've heard."

For a second, Tabitha's eyes changed as if she were recalling a distant memory. But if she did, she didn't mention it. "Anyway, I'm rambling, aren't I?" Harry gave a weak smile, and continued. His voice, however, wasn't as strong as it had been when he was talking about Sirius.

"So Sirius and a bunch of other people were fighting, trying to create a diversion while my friends and I escaped. But I didn't leave, I was trying to help another friend, one who'd fallen." Harry's eyes unfocused as he brought himself back into the memory. "Sirius was in front of me, fighting Bellatrix Lestrange. Bellatrix is his cousin." He added bitterly. "They were struggling…not ten feet away from me… I saw the whole thing..." Harry's voice was becoming softer, and it was getting harder and harder for him for form sentences.

"Sirius was laughing at her…taunting her…his last words…" his voice broke. "His last words were, '_Come on, you can do better than that!'_ And she did…she hit him in the chest. And…and…he fell." A fresh stream of sobs erupted from Harry's throat. He couldn't bare the pain any longer. It was eating him up inside, as it had been for the whole month of July. He collapsed, weakness taking over him, and fell onto Tabitha. She caught him, though, and wrapped her arms tightly around his sides. Harry tried to muffle the sound of his crying with his hands, but it was no good. He continued to choke on tears, his mouth dry, and chest heaving. Tabitha held strong though, and didn't stop him when he buried his head in the nape of her neck. Harry was still shaking, and Tabitha was trying to calm him a little by rubbing a hand across his back. Harry felt how wet her uniform was getting because his face was pressed against her, and tried to move a little, but it seemed Tabitha didn't want to let him go. They stayed like that for so long, sitting by the curbside in front of Number Four, that by the time they parted, the sun had fully set and stars had already sprinkled the sky with pinpricks of light.

o-o

It was almost midnight, but Harry lay in his bed, thinking as usual.

Surprisingly, he wasn't wondering how strange his story must have seemed to her. There were too many holes, too many gaps that just didn't quite make sense. Yet, Harry figured that it must as seemed as if Bellatrix shot Sirius with a Muggle gun, and he fell somewhere and died from the impact. It was not as noble a death as Harry would have liked it to sound, but he couldn't have gone into any more detail without revealing Sirius, Bellatrix, and himself as wizards.

But Harry wasn't thinking about this right now. No, his mind was dwelling on the much broader area, the subject of Tabitha. Harry didn't really believe in miracles, or angels, for that matter, but he supposed he could make an exception in her case. How could someone he had only known for a grand total of four days help him so much? How could they have gotten so close, and understood each other so well? It was as if he and Tabitha had known each other their whole lives - that was how soundly they had connected. Harry didn't think it possible for such an amazing thing to happen. Ron and Hermione, his best friendscouldn't make him feel any better about Sirius' death. Luna Lovegood, who he supposed shared a sort of bond with him, had made more progress with healing Harry than all his friends, Hagrid, Dumbledore, Lupin, and the rest of the Order had put together! But by far, this Muggle woman, who cleaned his aunt's house, had beat them all. The way she had held him, comforted him…it was amazing, it was surreal, it was _exactly what he needed._

But then again, Harry realized, it wouldn't last. Petunia needed Tabitha during the pregnancy, so that she wouldn't have to do anything too difficult while she was carrying the baby. But that would all end in two weeks, when the baby was due. Maybe Tabitha would stick around for another week or so, but then she would be gone. For sure, Petunia would want claim over her house again, and she would send the au pair packing her bags. Harry would probably never see Tabitha Royce again.

_Start with the laundry at your feet, Potter,_ Harry reminded himself. It wouldn't do to start thinking ahead of himself. What he had now was a great person who could help him heal, if he allowed her to. That cursed baby wasn't coming for another half month, plenty of time to spend with Tabitha and enjoy himself as best as he could at the Dursleys'. If he had anything to thank her for, it was for giving him the most enjoyable time he had ever spent there, the first ten years included.

Harry rolled on his side and closed his eyes. Yes, given his experiences in June, it was definitely one of his best summers yet.

o-o

Lily was also lying on her side on her bed above Harry's, propping her head on her hand and twirling her wand in her other. It had been quite an evening, and even though she hadn't shed a tear, she felt weak just remembering it.

She supposed the reason she hadn't cried was that she had run out of tears to spare for James and Harry. She _had_ had fifteen years to cry over them. Doing some quick math in her head, Lily calculated that that added up to well over five thousand nights to cry through. _And I probably used every single one of them, _she thought bitterly.

Though she didn't want to admit it to herself, Lily was glad that she had had that conversation with Harry. She had opened up to him, and he to her. Lily felt like she better understood a part of her son, his most private part, the one that those average wizards on the street didn't know a thing about. Harry was no longer a bunch of facts and statistics briefed on her by Dumbledore. Sure, anyone could tell you that he had survived Voldemort's attacks five times; that he had killed a basilisk, and that he was one of the first Hogwarts champions to participate in the Triwizard Tournament in hundreds of years. But Lily was his mother, and one of the few people Harry had let in. It was something that she had needed.

Grinning with pride, for both herself and her son, Lily put her wand down on her bedside table and shut off the light.

o-o

Harry had a pleasant dream, for the first time in while. He was flying on his broom, over the Forbidden Forest bordering Hogwarts. Tabitha was flying on a broom right behind him. Then, a man whose face was blurred appeared, flying on his own broom straight out of a window from the northern most tower of the castle. He joined them, and the three of them flew out over the forest and across the lake. Two canines, a dog and a wolf, emerged out of the forest, transformed into men who were obviously Sirius and Lupin, and flew up to meet them. From the depths of the lake water, Ron, Hermione, and the Weasleys joined them, all flying together on one giant broomstick. More people came, from various places in the landscape, and even Hagrid beat out his fears and hurdled out of his hut towing an enormous heavy broom behind him. Eventually, everyone Harry knew and liked came from somewhere, and they were all flying together without a care. They were all smiling and laughing and joking, and simply enjoying each other's presence, yet at the same time, protecting each other from veering off course and losing the group.

Harry awoke from this dream the next morning, not remembering a thing, except the feeling of being immensely happy.

o-o

Lily also had a dream that night, but hers had no definite appearance. It was a mix of colors and shapes, all blending into a vision of technicolor blurs, with only a few recognizable people. There was Harry as a baby, Minerva McGonagall, her old Transfiguration professor at Hogwarts, and for some reason, the bartender at the Leaky Cauldron. They came together, after a while, and joined to form one person, a man, whom Lily recognized but couldn't name. He was warning her of something, giving her words of caution. And then, there was a lot of light, and fire, and the dream ended, leaving Lily tangled in her sheets and covered in sweat the next morning.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Okay, I've just realized that I spent four chapters describing the events of one day (July 18th)! Ack, alright, I know that I'm dragging it out a lot, but that's because Au Pair only covers the course of two and a half weeks, and it's probably going to be around thirty chapters long. That leaves roughly two chapters for each day, give or take. Wow, I'm just realizing this, but did anyone notice how much math I had to do in this chapter? Weird, given how much I hate math. I'm definitely an English student. But I'm rambling again, aren't I? Oh well. You'll all have to deal with that.

Just a note- the laundry comment that Harry makes to himself is from a manga comic book that I really like, Fruits Basket. It basically just means that he's thinking too far into the future, and not about the present. I know I'm guilty of doing that, many times. 8-)

_Trivia Question:_ Since I have a sort of dream theme going on in Au Pair lately, does anyone have any strange or interesting dreams that they'd like to share? (Nothing _too _dirty, people!) Maybe I'll tell you one of mine next time, if you share yours!

Thank you so much for the reviews, everyone. I realize that a lot of you are going away or to camp at around this time, but if you aren't, please review! I won't be angry if you haven't reviewed yet - just start now!

Much love,

LaRohaZeta


	15. Flour For A Flower

Welcome, again, to the fifteenth chapter of _Au Pair!_ I enjoyed all of your dreams immensely; thank you all so much for sharing! Here is mine: I once dreamt that I was married to Johnny Depp, and I was really rich and happy with him. We lived together with our children in somewhere in France. One time, I took them all to see the Eiffel Tower, and one of them fell off and died. And then, the dream changed, and I was surrounded by this huge chocolate mountain, and I really wanted to eat it, but my lips were stuck together. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't separate them. It was truly horrible.

Thanks, everyone, for the reviews for _To Die Laughing!_ I really appriciate them! The next chapter will be up soon!

**Disclaimer:** (I'm so sick of these) No!

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

By the time Harry wandered into the kitchen the next morning, it was already nine o'clock, and everyone was gone. This took him by surprise, because if he wasn't awake by seven, Uncle Vernon or one of the other Dursleys would usually come rambling into his cupboard (room, at the time) and shake him until he was up and running. But it seemed that with the arrival of Tabitha, they hadn't needed him up so early anymore. Harry added "more sleep" to his mental list of things to thank her for.

He was not surprised to find several dirty dishes stacked up in the sink. It appeared that they had all already eaten breakfast. Harry had expected Tabitha to be around there somewhere, scrubbing or cooking or whatever, but found her absent. Shrugging, Harry moseyed over to the refrigerator and found a few items with which to make breakfast for himself. There was not a lot left, though, probably due to Petunia's constantly changing diet and the size of Dudley's appetite. _Maybe they'll want me to go shopping, _Harry wondered hopefully. In the past, his aunt and uncle had never trusted him with handling their money, no doubt thinking that he would run off with it, or bring back potion supplies with which to poison their meals or something similar. But he had been handling the grocery shopping since he had gotten back from Hogwarts, since Aunt Petunia seldom wanted to leave her bed, let alone the house.

Harry finished his meal after a short while, and placed his dish on top of the others. Whistling and looking for something to occupy the time, he spotted the kitchen day-to-day calendar. It was several days behind. Crossing the room to get to it, Harry ripped several slips of paper and sat back down at the table to admire his work.

_Friday, July 19th_, the calendar read. This meant several things to Harry. The first, and most obvious, was that there was one day left until the weekend. Usually this wouldn't have made much of a difference to him, since he, until recently, was given mountain loads of chores during every day of his stay with the Dursleys. But now, Harry had a free Saturday. He wondered vaguely if his aunt and uncle would let him do anything for it. Maybe he would get in touch with the Weasleys and see if he could go over to the Burrow for the day to play a game of Quidditch.

The date also meant something else to Harry. In only twelve days, he would be turning sixteen. Birthdays were never a big deal for Harry. The Dursleys almost always either ignored it, or gave him insulting presents that blatantly showed their disregard for him. However, he could look forward to gifts and cards from his friends. And there was always Tabitha. Perhaps she could make him feel a little better about his upcoming birthday.

Just as Harry was thinking this, the front door opened and slammed shut, and Tabitha walked into the kitchen from the front entrance.

"Oh, hello," she smiled when she noticed him sitting at the kitchen table. She was tugging several plastic shopping bags and looked extremely weighed down. Harry hurried over to help her before she dropped them.

"Thank you, Harry," Tabitha said, placing a few bags on the kitchen counter. "I've just been grocery shopping. We were emptied out!" She carefully rested the rest of the bags on the floor.

"Let me help you put those away," Harry offered. He reached into one of the bags, and pulled out a carton of milk, flour, eggs, and sugar. "Are you planning on baking?" He asked, observing the standard ingredients. Harry reached above his head to put the sugar and flour boxes away into a cabinet.

"Maybe. If I have time later on." Tabitha stuffed the milk and eggs into the refrigerator, and let the door close on its own. With both parties doing their share, it didn't take much longer to get all of the groceries into their appropriate spots. Tabitha crumpled the empty shopping bags and put them in the trash when they were finished, sighing.

She turned back to Harry, and the two looked at each other. An awkward silence passed over them. It seemed that both were trying to bring up their conversation from the previous night, but their embarrassment was catching up with them. _I should have known this would be weird,_ Harry scolded himself. After a few moments, Harry tried to speak.

"Look, about last -"

"I can understand if -"

A nervous giggle passed between them. "You go first." Harry instructed her.

Tabitha shook her head. "No, you wanted to say something."

"Alright. Well, I wanted to thank you. And, er, I was wondering…how about we just don't talk about it anymore?"

Tabitha's face fell. This didn't seem to be the answer she wanted, but she recovered quickly anyway. "Erm, yes, fine." Another silence. "Harry, if you're not going to be busy later, would you be interested in helping me with this cake?"

Harry was grateful for the subject change. "So that's what you're making, then? Yeah, sure, it sounds like a plan."

o-o

"Harry, no! That's baking _powder_, not baking _soda!"_ Lily warned her son, gripping the teaspoon he was measuring out carefully and guiding it over to the sink.

"Yes, sorry. My mistake." Harry shamefully dumped the small spoonful of powder down the drain and reached for another box to correct his mistake.

Lily had finished her duties earlier than she'd expected (her usual cooking responsibilities, plus removing ivy off of the back of the house) and had found time to bake with Harry. It was now three o'clock, and Petunia was, as usual, lying in her room. Dudley, given the option of staying home (and eating) or going to work with his father (and eating), vied for the second option, and the two Dursley men hadn't been heard from since nine that morning. This was perfectly fine with Lily, who had the whole day to spend with Harry. And, after those few moments of discomfort earlier, the whole day had been going splendidly. Harry was his usual overly helpful self, and helped her de-ivy the outside wall while she started dinner. Lily had complained to Harry about his job, claiming that the wall looked better with the gentle ivy leaves climbing up the brickwork. It gave the house more character. Harry had agreed, but added that the house looked even better without their heads smashed against the brick just because they had disobeyed Petunia.

"Thanks for those beautiful mental images," Lily had muttered, before turning back to her stew.

When they had both finished, Lily and Harry had leafed through Petunia's cookbooks, and a book of recipes that Lily had brought herself, just incase. They had finally found a recipe for pound cake that didn't look too complicated but not too disgusting. Double-checking to make sure they had all the necessary ingredients, Harry gave Lily a thumbs-up, and they started the baking.

Lily was an excellent cook, but she had only discovered this after leaving Hogwarts, much to James' surprise and delight. James always used to tell her that her talents in the kitchen shouldn't have shocked her so much, seeing as Potions had been one of her best subjects, right after Charms. He had gone on to explain how similar the two were, what with following directions exactly and using precise ingredients to create a product both necessary and, usually, ingestible. Lily, blushing with pleasure, had agreed with him, although when she looked back on the memory now, she realized James had most likely complimented her so because he had wanted another piece of strawberry tart.

Harry, as Lily observed now, seemed not to have inherited her gift for the culinary arts. He couldn't tell the difference between a teaspoon and a tablespoon or a dry measure and a liquid measure. This was the second time that he'd mistaken baking powder for baking soda, and they'd had to start the dry mix all over again. Lily was trying her hardest to help Harry improve his baking skills, or at the very least, prevent him from ruining the cake.

"Careful, careful, it's only a half a cup of white sugar, the other half is a combination of brown sugar and confectioner's sugar!" Lily quickly grabbed the dry measuring cup from Harry's hand and dumped its contents into a large metal bowl. She did this, not noticing the look on Harry's face, or the words he was muttering:

"…should introduce her…Hermione…"

o-o

"Do you think I'll be able to pour the milk without ruining it?" Harry asked, feigning concern.

"Yeah, sure. Right...four…five…four – no, _that's_ five…" Lily was busy concentrating on counting the number of scoops she had drawn from the sugar bowl.

o-o

Harry pulled out the new carton of milk from the fridge and poured 2/3 of a cup into the _liquid measurer_, which he had been introduced to only ten minutes previous. He sat added that to the mixture and began to stir.

"Hold on just a second…" Tabitha cracked two eggs over the bowl so that the wet powder now had a liquid-y yellow tinge to it. "Okay, I'll mix that, and you add in the flour."

Harry grabbed the heavy sack of flour and held it upside down. Carefully, he tore a slit in it so that the powder would be able to rush gently and neatly out of the bag.

o-o

In theory, this was a good plan. But Harry had little experience with baking, and didn't quite realize just how idiotic dumping an open bag of flour upside down really was.

o-o

Cascades of pale flour came gushing out of the brown paper bag when it ripped open, literally raining down on Harry and Tabitha. They both fell to the ground clutching their heads with their arms and squinting their eyes shut. When they both thought it was over, they slowly rose, fearing the amount of damage Harry had done.

The Dursleys' kitchen, once gleaming thanks to Tabitha's cleaning skills, was covered in snow. Or so it seemed. Every inch of space was caked – no pun intended - with flour, from the counter tops, to the appliances sitting tidily in their cubbyholes, to the black-and-white (technically now gray-and-white) tiles that covered the kitchen floor. Harry took a glance at Tabitha. Her tightly drawn black hair was completely faded, and the flour that had covered her face made lines in her forehead and cheeks. That, together with the expression on her face, made Harry burst out laughing.

"Look...at…yourself!" Harry pointed weakly to a mirror hanging on the wall opposite them. He couldn't tell her this, of course, but she could have passed for a sister of his Transfiguration teacher, Professor McGonagall! Tabitha stood and observed herself in the mirror. Harry could see her face contorting from angry to shocked to amused, in a matter of seconds. Tabitha finally joined him, laughing hysterically, especially when she caught a glimpse of Harry.

They didn't stop laughing until nearly ten minutes later, when Tabitha suggested they clean up before she got any older.

"Older-looking, that is." She added with a wink, sending Harry into another stream of uncontrollable laugher.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

This chapter is a bit longer than usual…which reminds me of something I wanted to ask you all: Several people have asked me to make the chapters longer. I could do that (making each chapter from now on around the length of this one), but it would take me longer to update. Maybe like six or seven days as opposed to four or five. But it's your decision!

I forgot to mention this in the last few chapters, but **review replies are on my profile**, and **they always will be**, even if I forget to remind you!

_Trivia Question:_ Who can explain the meaning of this chapter title? It's not hard!

Happy Fourth (if I don't update by then, which is unlikely)!

LaRohaZeta


	16. Friendly Encounters

Gah! I seem to be on a writing frenzy this month! It must be the heat or something! **KTSweep08** had the first correct answer for the trivia question (_Define _"_Flour For A Flower_"_, Flour_ baking cake w/ flour, _Flower _"Lily" Potter), so thank you!

**Disclaimer:** "LaRohaZeta-does-not-own-rights-to-the-Harry-Potter-series-or-any-of-its-characters-so-please-stop-trying-to-sue-her," says Announcer Man in his special Announcer Man Voice.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Ta da!" Lily said, pulling a lopsided pound cake out of the oven with flourish.

"What is that?" Dudley asked reproachfully. His question surprised Lily, who thought that her nephew would have eaten the cake-like thing right away, regardless of its resemblance to a large ball of bean curd. His parents, sitting on either side of him at the dinner table, had similar distasteful expressions on their faces, and were staring at the cake as if something was going to pop out of it and attack them.

"Pound cake." Lily plastered a smile on her face, and cut Dudley a large slice. The large boy leaned into his plate and sniffed the cake suspiciously. Then, shrugging, he forked the whole thing into his mouth and gobbled it down.

"Gimme some more." Dudley demanded rudely.

"Certainly." Lily gave him another piece, grinding her teeth in irritation. _This boy cannot get _any_ ruder!_

Petunia and Vernon each took a piece as well, and finished their dessert speedily. The Dursleys left their kitchen not long after; Dudley to watch television in the drawing room and his parents to their bedroom. Lily cleaned up and washed the dishes, then retired to her own room to read before going to sleep.

She was pleasantly surprised to find Peine waiting for her on her bed. The brown owl didn't seem too upset to see her either, as she flew over to Lily straight away and wouldn't leave her shoulder perch for a full minute.

Laughing quietly, Lily managed to tug Peine off of her and carry her over to her – much too small – cage.

"Sorry girl. You're back to being a parakeet again, for now."

Peine hooted bleakly.

"I know you don't like it, but it looks suspicious, a Muggle keeping an owl as a pet. Besides, you look rather lovely as a parakeet." Lily tried to reason with the bird.

Peine tilted her head and narrowed her eyes questioningly, as if to say, _"Are you just flattering me to get me into that cage?"_

"It's not a trick or anything, honest!"

Rather heatedly, Peine nipped Lily's index finger.

"Ow! Crazy bird!"

Peine rubbed her feathery head against her finger as an apology. "_Sorry."_

"That's quite all right. Now, hold still." Lily tapped her with her wand. Peine slowly shrunk to the size of her palm. Her feathers shortened and brightened, instantly becoming worthy of a tropical bird.

"There, now. In you go." Lily popped the tiny bird into the cage, ignoring twitters of protest, and closed the door. She then turned to her bed and picked up the letter that Peine had brought in.

_I wonder who it could be from…_ Lily wondered sardonically.

_Tabitha-_

_Interesting new development in regards to the Sopravivus Charm side-effect-reversal. Would like to discuss it with you in person. Can you be at the castle at 12:00 tomorrow afternoon, the 20th? Will send Fawkes to take you directly to the passageway outside my office. Reply in haste._

_Albus_

Rolling her eyes at Dumbledore's abrupt code-talk, Lily sent back a mocking answer.

_Will be there. Much to speak about. Need Dursleys' permission first._

_T.R._

"Sorry Peine, I need you again." Lily stroked the parakeet's feathers through the tiny bars in her cage.

Peine tweeted softly in objection, which, in bird language, could have been translated to, _"Make up your mind! Do you want me to sit quietly in this matchbox-sized excuse for a cage, or go flying off to every end of the country to deliver letters for you?"_

"Now, now, no need to be grumpy. Just bring this note to Dumbledore. You know where he is."

_"Of course I know where he is. He's the only human you ever write to!"_ The bird stuck out her leg anyway. 

"Thank you, Peine." Lily smiled sweetly at her newly-transformed owl.

_"Yeah, yeah. Just don't go complaining to me when you find parakeet droppings in your slippers."_

o-o

Lily reentered her bedroom the next morning after making and serving breakfast for the Dursleys. Harry had helped her cook, but hadn't stayed to eat for himself, explaining that he was going to a friend's house for the day. Lily was rather happy about this, hoping that whoever her son was going to see could cheer him up a bit.

She filled up the few hours' time before twelve, when, sure enough, a beautiful fiery phoenix appeared from nowhere in a rush of flames. Grabbing onto Fawkes by the tail, Lily felt the room spin and herself falling. Except she wasn't landing on the hard bedroom floor; in fact, she wasn't landing at all. She was purely spinning and falling, watching the room disappear in a blur of color. The experience was somewhat like using a Portkey, which Lily had never liked, with the slight improvement of holding onto a gorgeous bird instead of a rotten piece of rubbish (the last Portkey item she had used, over fifteen years earlier).

After a short while, Lily's feet made contact with solid stone ground, and she found herself standing in the middle of a moderately lit corridor in Hogwarts. Lily spun around to make sure she was where she was supposed to be. _Yes, that the statue that guards Dumbledore's office._ _And there's that painting of the Four Founders. Haven't seen that one in a while._

Lily amused herself for a while by watching the Founders in their enormous, wall-sized portrait. Godric Gryffindor seemed to be in deep discussion with Helga Hufflepuff. Both parties looked very involved – using exaggerated hand gestures, pointing, that sort of thing. Rowena Ravenclaw was reading a book, apparently oblivious to her companions' conversation. Salazar Slytherin was conspicuously absent, probably having walked out of the portrait a long time ago.

Lily was so absorbed in the picture that she didn't hear the statue behind her slide open and close shut, or see the man that walked out of the secret door behind it. He was looking at his feet, and, as Lily turned, ran straight into her.

"- Oof!" Stars spun in front of Lily's eyes.

"Oh! I'm terribly sorry! I didn't see you there, are you alright?" The man grabbed her elbow to keep her from falling.

"Thank you –" Lily looked up into the man's eyes and stopped mid-sentence. She knew those eyes – regardless of how clouded they were, and that face – despite its haunted look…

"Remus?" Lily whispered disbelievingly.

Remus Lupin looked puzzled. "I'm sorry, have we met?"

Lily could have smacked herself. _Idiot! Stupid, forgetful, no-good cow! Forgetting the plan _entirely,_ just in a moment of shock…_

"Oh, er – not personally, at least I don't think. We…we went to Hogwarts together. I was a few years behind you, in Gryffindor." Lily covered her mistake hastily.

Luckily, Remus seemed to accept her story. "What's your surname? I may know you after all."

"Er – Royce. Tabitha Royce." Lily replied automatically. Then horror sank in.

_Oh, sod it! What if Harry owled him and mentioned that name? I would be ruined, the cover would be blown; it would all be over! And all the work Dumbledore's put in, over fifteen years of experiments and tedious notes, all because I was stupid enough to give my real false name! Oh damn…_

Remus looked thoughtful for a moment, but then shook his head. "No, sorry. I don't know you."

_Thank Merlin._

Lily nodded and smiled. "That's not surprising. You and your friends were very popular, and I – well, I wasn't. We didn't mix in the same circles, you see."

Remus offered her a small, strained smile. "Well, good day, then." He turned and walked away, towards the west end of the building.

"Good day!" She called after him. He waved, and disappeared behind a corner.

Lily cringed and rubbed her temples irritably. That was such a close call – she had been just seconds away from giving herself away – yet, she was so surprised at meeting her old friend again, whom she hadn't seen in fifteen years…

He must have been so upset with Sirius gone. It quickly dawned on Lily that Sirius and Remus had only had each other for the past two years. Sirius, obviously, had been on the run from the law, and couldn't have made many friends in his position. And Remus, being a werewolf, was shunned by most wizards. Now with Sirius dead, Remus must surely be facing more misery than he had since 1981.

_Poor Remus,_ Lily thought sadly as she gave the password for the Headmaster's quarters and climbed the chilly stone steps. _He thinks he's the only one left now._

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

This chapter's a bit longer. And as you can see, there's very little Harry. The next chapter will similar – just about Lily's meeting with Dumbledore. Chapter 18, though, is all Harry!

As you can see above, I changed the genre of this story. There's a lot more humor in it than I expected, so I kicked out the mystery. You all know who Tabitha Royce really is, anyway.

Poll Question: Not really a trivia at all, just a question. Which ship/ships would you like me to use in this fic? Know this, however, before you get too excited: **THERE WILL NOT BE A LARGE AMOUNT OF ROMANTIC CONTENT. **It will only be mentioned a couple of times, and will not have any significant part to the plot. The ships are:

-Harry/Hermione  
-Ron/Hermione  
-Harry/Ginny  
-Hermione/Other Weasley Brother  
-Hedwig/Errol (I'll try my best with this one!)

This is a reward for being such great reviewers! If you guys review even more, I'll ask you for your input on other aspects of the story as well!

Review replies are on my profile!

Cheerio!

LaRohaZeta


	17. Cause And Effect

Holy Flying Moses! I can't believe how many reviews I got for last chapter! That poll question really worked on you guys, didn't it? I think I even had a couple of lurkers reveal themselves from behind the shadows. Pretty sweet. Anyway, thank you soooo much for them all; I really really really appreciate them!

So, the majority consensus seems to favor Harry/Ginny, Ron/Hermione, and Hedwig/Errol. Fine, but I'll say it again – there will not be a lot of romance! If you're expecting a major Harry/Ginny love story then this is not the fic to read. Anyway!

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter belongs to JKR, and not to me!

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Lily hurried up the stone staircase after whispering the password, _"Fizzing Whisbees"_, and pushed open the wide door that led to Albus Dumbledore's office. She found the office empty, so Lily helped herself to a seat in front of his desk. She supposed she would just wait until Dumbledore returned from wherever he was. He couldn't have gone far, though, if he had just seen Remus a few minutes earlier.

Lily looked around the elegant room, amazed at all the memories that came flooding back. The first time she had ever been in this room had been for her first meeting as Head Girl. She had been amazed at all the beautiful and strange magical artifacts that Dumbledore kept lying around. Her next time had been with James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter when they all were asked by Dumbledore to join his Order of the Phoenix during the first war, right before they graduated. Then there had been that fateful day when Dumbledore had informed her and James of the doom that awaited their newborn son. Not long after, Dumbledore had summoned her to explain the Sopravivus Charm and ask her to be his guinea pig. Not that Lily regretted it, of course. She just wished James could be with her too.

For those ten years while she was living in London, Lily had been to Dumbledore's office many times, as he liked to check on her often. That was usually when she would receive updates on Harry's life and make plans for the future. But the last time she had been here was right before she had arrived at Privet Drive, only about a week ago.

Lily was pulled out of her musings by the sound of footsteps, coming from the door on her right. Dumbledore appeared, balancing a tray and pitcher in one hand and pushing open the door with his other. When he spotted her near his desk he smiled.

"Hello, Lily. I trust your journey here has been pleasant?" He said conversationally, setting down the tray on his desk and taking a seat.

Lily wanted to snort and reply, "it wasn't so much of a journey as grabbing onto a bird and trying not to be sick," but that would have been rude.

"Fine, sir. Fawkes arrived in my bedroom right on time, just as you said." She said instead.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled madly, almost as if he knew what she was thinking. He smiled and nodded. "Would you like milk or sugar in your tea?"

"Plain is just fine, thank you." Dumbledore poured a cupful of the liquid into a cup and handed it to Lily. He poured himself some, with extra sugar to satisfy his sweet tooth, and sat down again.

"Is Harry at the Dursleys?" Dumbledore asked.

Lily shook her head, and blew on her tea. "No, he said he was going to a friends' house for the day. He couldn't tell me, obviously, but I assumed he went to the Weasleys'."

Dumbledore nodded. "That makes sense. They're the only wizarding family he really knows that well." A short silence passed between them.

"I saw Remus on my way in here." Lily commented.

Dumbledore looked up at her sharply. "Did he recognize you?" He asked calmly yet demandingly.

"No. How could he, when I look like this?" She reassured him. He relaxed instantly. "I was careful, I always am." But she couldn't look him in the eyes.

"Except around Harry." The Headmaster guessed. Lily nodded reluctantly. "Lily, you know how important it is that we conceal your identity for the time being. Until your appearance is restored to its original state, there will be no safe way for you to see your friends again. So please, don't take any chances."

Lily took a long angry gulp of her tea, not noticing when it scalded her tongue. She had already had this talk with Dumbledore, many times. _Why_ did he keep treating her like a child? She knew what she was doing; she could control her emotions. Merlin knew she had had fifteen years to practice that!

However, Lily willed her anger away. It would probably come in handy later. "How is Remus?"

Dumbledore nodded, probably expecting that particular question. "As expected. Sirius was his closest friend," he answered gently. "It makes sense that he would still be grieving."

"Especially with the full moon last week." Lily stated grimly.

Dumbledore nodded. "Remus was so used to Sirius being with him on those nights. It surprised me at first that Sirius could be of any help to Remus during his transformations, but, as it turns out, he was. In his Animagus form, Sirius was able to control the wolf slightly – or, at least, keep Remus from hurting himself too badly. The Wolfsbane Potion didn't hurt either."

Lily sighed heavily. "I would hate to be Remus right now."

"There are many people whose identities we would rather not assume. Then again, there are people who we desperately want to be. Instead, it is best to think of the positives and negatives of our own lives, and appreciate ourselves as best we can." Dumbledore preached wisely.

"Whose life do you want most?" Lily asked curiously, lightening the mood.

Dumbledore smiled. "In all honesty? Sometimes I think it would be interesting to be my brother Aberforth. He is quite the fellow. I invited him over for tea last week, but he just couldn't leave those goats."

Lily laughed, and reached for her cup again.

"So, I know that you are probably eager to hear about my progress with the Sopravivus Charm," Dumbledore began again. Lily nodded patiently, sipping her tea. Dumbledore set his cup down and looked thoughtful for a moment. But only for a moment.

"As you know, I've been trying to work out a way to reverse the magical side effects that the Sopravivus Charm has on its user. I've already discovered several of these side effects: change of appearance, memory loss, pain, deformities, and occasionally death. You took a great risk by allowing the spell to be performed on you."

Lily looked at him seriously. "I would do anything for Harry."

Dumbledore nodded. "And you've proven this on many occasions. But this may be the supreme sacrifice. You could have died, as a result of my curiosity." He looked away, closing his eyes.

Lily instantly lost all her previous resentment of Dumbledore. She leaned forward and spoke firmly, yet gently. "Don't you mean, 'as a result of your great desire to save lives? To win the war against Voldemort?' I can't think of anything I'd rather sacrifice myself for. You're doing the right thing, Dumbledore."

Dumbledore looked back at her. His eyes twinkled in thanks, and he continued. "I have recently discovered a potion that could help my efforts. It is an old Healer's remedy, one for the removal of long-term medical side effects. It has been quite useful in the past, and Healers today have only stopped using it because of its very long formation process. It is an exceedingly difficult potion. One that our own Potions Master probably couldn't manage." He paused for a moment.

Lily waited for a bit of good news. "But…?" She prodded.

"_But_, if I could alter it to make the process somewhat shorter, and also make a few adjustments to suit the needs of the user more appropriately, I think there will be a possibility, however small, that it can be added to the Sopravivus. It could also be taken alone, of course. For you." He added.

Lily let out a breath she hadn't been aware of holding. "That's wonderful news, Dumbledore! Tell me about the potion."

The Headmaster stood and walked to a far corner of the room, where Lily saw a tiny filing cabinet standing neatly on top of a trunk. It was extraordinarily small; Lily wondered what Dumbledore could possibly be storing in such a space. He tugged gently on one of the handles, and the drawer came sliding out, going further and further, until it covered a distance much wider than the filing cabinet (A/N: Think _Bruce Almighty_!) Lily was amazed; even with her years of experience with magical artifacts, there were still some that she knew nothing about.

Dumbledore looked through the cabinet, frowning, until he finally chose an old-looking book. He shut the cabinet door and brought the book over to Lily. When she saw it up close, she realized how off she had been when she described the book as "old-looking". It was _ancient._ The front cover was so worn, it was almost literally dangling on by a thread. The pages were yellowed age, and the dusty brown fabric of the cover was ripped in several places. Lily could read the title though, but only just. It read _"Advanced Healing Potions" by Libatius Borage._

Dumbledore opened the book carefully and flipped to a page at the end. At the top, a title read '_Total Reversal Tonic – for curing the long-lasting and long-term side effects of many atypical remedies'._ Underneath was a list of ingredients, and a step-by-step instruction sheet with illustrations for brewing the potion correctly. And, as with all potions, a warning and number of side effects was scribbled at the very end. Lily thought it amusing that a potion designed to get rid of side effects actually _included_ its own, but she didn't voice this thought to Dumbledore. _Not that it would matter, since he can probably hear what I'm thinking now anyway,_ Lily thought ironically. She briefly looked over the list of possible side effects, and was please to see nothing too horrible. '_Headaches, possible nausea, dizziness, and irritated skin may occur.'_ _Not too bad…it's not death, at least._

"As you can see here," Dumbledore flipped the page to the beginning of the potion ingredients, "if I replaced the bat cartilage with a few lizard tales and lavender blossom juice, it would probably work just as well, but would take much less time to brew. And the orbs of palm – well, I think if I used a few lark sinews instead, and performed the third step at a higher temperature, the memory loss could be taken care of –"

Dumbledore was interrupted by a small knock on his window. Lily turned and saw a large barn owl fluttering around outside, a scroll attached to its leg.

"Excuse me for a moment." He rose again, and moved toward the window to let the owl inside.

Lily turned back to the book excitedly. Dumbledore was right; there were only a few simple changes that could be made to the potion and it should work perfectly. Of course, it would still be extremely difficult to make, but a wizard like Dumbledore should be able to take care of it easily.

"Headmaster," Lily looked up and grinned. "I really think you've got something here-" But she stopped. Dumbledore was staring at the letter in his hand, looking very grave indeed.

"What's wrong?" Lily asked worriedly, the grin slipping off her face instantly.

"There's been an attack. Death Eaters." Dumbledore replied, picking up his wand from the desk.

"Where?" She demanded, rising herself.

Dumbledore looked her straight in the eye. "The Burrow."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Uh-oh! What about Harry? Dun dun duuuuunnn! (Aren't cliffies fun?)

_Trivia Question:_ Who knows where I got the name of the potions book author, Libatius Borage? It's from one of the Harry Potter books, not from my imagination!

Today is my birthday, everyone! So please review, even if it's just to wish me a happy birthday!

Reviews are on my user profile!

Ciao,

LaRohaZeta


	18. Family Outing

Hello everybody! So, I have a couple of things to say…first, thank you all so much for the birthday wishes, I really appreciate them seeing as it wasn't one of my better birthdays. But, never mind that! Thanks a ton to **lil-squirrel** for guessing the correct answer to the trivia question, the name 'Libatius Borage' was indeed from the HBP, and you guessed it even before the book came out! Nice one!

Speaking of, what did you all think? I really _really_ want to hear all of your reactions! I'll be posting mine shortly on my user profile, right underneath the review responses, so you can read my opinions (if anyone cares). That way, anyone who hasn't finished yet won't have to read any annoying spoilers. I'm also terribly sorry to have left you with that nasty cliffhanger last chapter, but you must agree, it wasn't as bad as the one JKR gave us in the HBP! Also, in case you were wondering, the newest book will not affect this story or its sequel. There are only a few light spoilers. I already have a definite plan that isn't changing anytime soon.

I'm going away to volleyball camp from the 24th to the 28th of July, so this might be the last post for a couple of days. Then, there'll be another week where I will be at home, and then – _pause for mass cringing_ – I'm leaving for the Caribbean for two and a half weeks. So sorry! But I promise to do plenty of writing during that time and there'll be many quick updates after that time. Hopefully, To Die Laughing will be done at that time as well. Sorry it's taken so long. Okay, that's all I had to say!

**Disclaimer:** I would hope, by now at least, that you were all aware whom Harry Potter belongs to…

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Harry woke early on Saturday, July 20th, to a series of several small sharp pains in his left arm.

_Pick…pick…pick…_

He rather felt like a small jackhammer was being plunged repeatedly into his skin. Groggily, Harry sat up and reached for his glasses, only to find Hedwig sitting on his bed beside him, tapping him with her beak.

"I'm up, I'm up!" Harry said, taking a small scroll from her leg. Harry hastily ripped it open and eagerly read the message from Ron.

_Harry – feel like coming over for the day? Bring your Firebolt; we're having a family outing and probably'll play Quidditch a bit. Send answer ASAP, someone will come for you._

_-Ron_

Harry brightened at once. An outing with his favorite wizarding family, playing Quidditch, and probably eating some of Mrs. Weasley's delicious food? And he didn't even have to invite himself over, as he had planned! He wouldn't miss it for anything.

_Ron- How early can they come for me?_

_-Harry_

He sent back this message with Hedwig, threw on some clothes, and scrambled into the kitchen to help Tabitha with breakfast. When he returned a half hour later, Hedwig was waiting for him – sure enough – with another small scroll tied to her leg.

_About 11:00._

_-Ron_

Harry grinned and set the parchment down. It would be so good to get away from the Dursleys for a day, to see people he liked, to feel the rush of air on his face while flying on his broomstick But Harry's grin faltered a little when he thought of Tabitha, her friendly face strained whilst running around after Petunia, playing slave to Dudley, humoring Vernon. The Dursleys always gave her massive amounts of work to do – wouldn't she fall short of her usual expectations without Harry around to help? But…Harry looked down at the note from Ron. One day of fun wouldn't do any harm.

o-o

Harry was standing ready in his room at 10:50, broom and bag in hand.

The last time the Weasleys had come to pick him up at Privet Drive had been two years ago, when they had arrived by means of Floo in the Dursleys' fireplace. Harry really hoped they had found a different method of transportation now, for that one had not been a pleasant experience.

A loud crack sounded a few feet away from Harry, startling him somewhat. _Of course, they're Apparating, _he mused. _But how- _

A second crack followed, and Harry found himself staring into the freckly grinning faces of the Weasley twins.

"Hia Harry," George bowed theatrically. "How're you?"

"He can't be that well, George," said his brother Fred, curtseying with flourish. "You Apparated on his robes."

"Oh. Deepest apologies." George shifted a bit, and Harry was free.

"It's great to see you two," Harry grinned. "How's business?"

"Booming!"

"Better than we could have expected!"

"We're even thinking of opening up shop in Hogsmeade, you know, a separate branch."

"So all the Hogwarts students can fulfill their pranking needs during the school year, as well as before in Diagon Alley." Fred finished enthusiastically, beaming at him.

"That's great news! I'd love to see the shop sometime." Harry told them.

George winked at him. "Don't worry, you will. Our original funder, not even get a glimpse of the fantastic results his own contributions made possible? It's preposterous!"

"Outrageous!"

"Unheard of!"

"Alright, I'll make sure I visit, then." Harry assured them. "But we ought to get going, shouldn't we?"

"Ay, we should." Fred reached out for Harry's broomstick and bag. "We're going to Apparate with you, you know, Side-Along Apparition. It's very simple. Just hold onto mine and George's arms very tightly. That's good. Ready? Here we go!"

o-o

After Apparating to a corner of the Burrow's property and being rushed inside by Mrs. Weasley _("Hello, Harry dear…come along, not safe to dawdle outside these days, you know.")_, but not after asking the twins' secret question _("Who are your idols?")_, Harry was hugged and greeted and shaken and questioned until they had had their way with him. He met the rest of the Weasley family (minus Percy), who all seemed to be coming with them.

"Do you do this sort of thing often?" Harry asked Ron a bit later on.

"Family outings, you mean? I s'pose. Usually just once in the summer though, when everyone's together," Ron filled him in as the boys helped Mrs. Weasley and Ginny stock sandwiches and drinks into several picnic baskets.

"It was really nice of you to invite me," Harry said gratefully. He couldn't shake off the feeling that he was imposing on a family tradition.

Ron glanced at Harry, spotting the uneasiness and light envy on his friend's face. "No big deal." He shrugged, slightly uncomfortable himself with the situation. "Besides, we needed one more person to make it even for Quidditch. Bill probably won't play," Ron grumbled discontentedly.

"Why? I thought Bill liked Quidditch?"

Ron frowned. "He does, but Fleur will want him to stay on the ground with her. Afraid of heights, I reckon."

Harry nearly dropped the jars of jam he was juggling. "Fleur? What is she doing here?" He asked, surprised

"Oh, didn't I tell you? Fleur and Bill are getting married." Ron told him, with the slightest hint of resentfulness in his tone.

"Oh, that's great…isn't it?" Harry questioned at the look on Ron's face.

"Mmhmm," said Ron, whose face was now buried in the picnic basket.

o-o

It was a bit of a walk to get to the Weasleys' usual spot, although, as Harry noted when they got there, well worth the distance. It was a sunny green field with a few wild-looking daffodils growing in random crops along the back pathway. A modest sized creek ran along the short side of the field, gurgling quietly and splashing cool drops onto the rocky bank. The field was large enough for a decent game of Quidditch; that was obvious to Harry right away.

And it was…Charlie had set up the portable goal hoops on the far sides of the grassy field and unpacked the Weasleys' somewhat shabby set of Quidditch balls, so the Weasley children and Harry were able to play a good game, three against three. Harry played Seeker for his team, which included Ginny as Chaser and Fred as Keeper. Charlie was the Seeker for his team; George played Chaser and Ron Kept. It was a very close match; there were frequent Ron vs. Ginny and Fred vs. George showdowns, but Harry's team won in the end. Harry caught the Snitch as it was hovering over Fleur's hair and she nearly had a fit when he came zooming towards her on his broom; she jumped into Bill's lap and cowered behind him until Harry was flying away once again.

"Zat was such a 'orrible trick, 'Arry!" Fleur scolded him later on as the whole family sat down at a picnic table to eat. Harry apologized and offered her another peach for forgiveness. Behind Fleur, Ginny rolled her eyes and gagged.

Mr. Weasley stood from his seat and placed his napkin neatly on the table. "Excuse me for a moment, Weasleys, I just want to check back on the house."

"Oh, Arthur, is that really necessary? Your one day off…" Mrs. Weasley looked upset.

"Yes, dear. We have to be certain that all the security measures are still…in place." He told her, with a quick glance at Harry, and then Apparated away.

Mrs. Weasley sighed and began putting away her husband's plate.

"Mrs. Weasley?" Harry asked from the other end of the table. "Why is there so much security on your house?"

"Well, for you of course, Harry." Mrs. Weasley told him patiently. "The Ministry had to place a number of protection enchantments on the Burrow when they found out that you were coming to visit."

"Oh," was all Harry could manage, and he continued eating, slightly ashamed.

There was a silence for another few minutes while everyone pondered over the Ministry's protection. Until a loud _crack!_ sounded once again from the middle of the field, and Mr. Weasley came running towards them, panting, a graze down his cheek from which blood was running openly.

"Arthur…!" Mrs. Weasley's eyes widened, alarmed.

"Molly! Death Eaters! Death Eaters, back at the Burrow!"

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Now, this is the second time I've left you with that cliffhanger. I must be truly evil…

_Trivia Question:_Who are Fred and George's role models? This question is much too easy, actually, I'm thinking of taking it back. Oh well.

Review replies are on my user profile!

Toodles!

LaRohaZeta


	19. Battle At The Burrow

I am backeth! Deepest apologies for my absence; I was away for the week at volleyball camp up in the Berkshires, and couldn't find a computer. But I did a lot of writing in my free time!

So, I have some good news and some bad news. The good news first: Au Pair is almost finished! I only have a few more chappies to tweak before they all go into the final editing process and are put up here. But, of course, the inevitable bad news: I leave for the Caribbean on Saturday, and I'll be there for two and a half weeks. Gasp! I know, I'm so sorry, but you all can read some of the stories on my favorites during my absence – they are all wonderful. And, as a going away present (even though _I'm_ the one who's going away), I will post the title of Au Pair's sequel in the next chapter. Just because I love you all so much!

Thank you **Neurotica** for giving me the answer to that (incredibly easy) trivia question. I really should go a little harder on you people; you're just too smart for me ;-P

Um, sort of graphic chapter ahead. Nothing too bad, I promise you – just slightly disturbing images and some hinting at child abuse and rape.

**Disclaimer:** The only things I own are these annoyingly long disclaimers.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

They all stood there for a moment in dumb silence. How could something like this have happened?

"Well? What are you all waiting for? Let's go, now!" Mr. Weasley cried, and Apparated from the spot. Mrs. Weasley followed not a second later. Charlie grabbed a hold of Harry's arm and Apparated with him back to the Burrow. Harry looked around when they arrived and saw Ron and Ginny pop up as well. They, too, had held on to elder Weasley children and had side-Apparated.

It did not take long for the entire family to appear magically in that designated corner of the yard. Harry pulled out his wand without thanking Charlie for the lift. He led the rest of the group toward the house where yells could already be heard and multi-colored wand lights seen from the windows.

"Come on, everyone!" Harry yelled behind him as he ran through the open front door. He had to duck at once as a blue light hit the wall where his head had been not a moment before.

_"Stupefy!"_ Harry shrieked at the masked figure in front of him. The Death Eater fell to the floor, stunned. Harry dragged him by the ankles, shoved him into the living room cupboard and slammed the door. He was just doing the lock when he heard a scream behind him. Harry flipped around just in time to see Ginny dodge a beam of green light that flew out of the open kitchen doors. Ron, who was right behind her, jumped on the dining table, shielding his sister, and aimed his wand at Ginny's attacker.

_"Incarcerous!"_ Ron screamed. The Death was bound magically with ropes and crashed to the floor. Harry heard a muffled moan of defeat before Ron and Ginny scrambled past him and out the back door. Fred and George headed upstairs, followed by Bill and Fleur. Charlie ran into the kitchen. Harry followed him, head swiveling in all directions, incase of Death Eaters nearby, hiding maybe, or disguised. Then suddenly, without any warning at all, something crashed in front of him, and Charlie dropped to the floor, bleeding from the head. Harry stuck out his wand in front of him, gripped tightly, looking around wildly for any sign of life. Then, a shimmer in the air, and a _swoosh_ – and a very short Death Eater pulled off an Invisibility Cloak and appeared in front of the kitchen table a few feet from Harry. Harry could see that he was holding a heavy metal pan of Mrs. Weasleys in his non-wand hand. The pan was dripping with some dark liquid that Harry knew was Charlie's blood. The Death Eater spotted him standing in the doorframe and grinned evilly, showing rotten yellow teeth through the hold in his mask.

_"Petrificus totalus!"_ Harry spat, wand stretched toward the Death Eater's heart. He froze in place, and tottered for a few moments before he fell onto the kitchen floor with a great 'thud!' Harry kicked him under the counter and removed his Invisibility Cloak from the floor where it had dropped. Harry scooped up Charlie and placed him gently in one of the padded chairs, being careful to raise his head so that the blood didn't run. Harry then strode out the back door to join Ron and Ginny in battle.

He came just in time, it seemed. Five Death Eaters had cornered his friends against the elm trees at the back of the garden.

_Two to five, that's really fair, _Harry thought angrily.

He had to stop himself from running towards them with wand blazing. Instead, he slipped on the frozen Death Eater's Invisibility Cloak. He crept quietly to the end of the back yard, forced to listen to the Death Eaters taunt and mock his friends.

"…can't have you mommy and daddy help you now, can you? Oh, no no no…by the time we're done with them, they won't be able to do much..." one of the Death Eaters sneered. The other cackled horribly.

The Death Eater turned to Ginny. "You're a pretty one, aren't you? Perhaps we'll take you back with us – I hear ol' Fenrir's getting a little antsy this close to full moon…maybe he'll want to have some fun with you, precious…"

Harry couldn't take it any longer. He flung the cloak from his body and drew his wand.

_"Silencio!"_ He forced the verbally abusive Death Eater to shut up. _"Stupefy!"_ Harry shot at one. He sent a stinging hex at another one before the remaining three Death Eaters spun around to face him. Taking advantage of their momentary diversion, Ron and Ginny grabbed their wands from inside the pockets of the fallen Death Eaters.

"_Expelliarmus!"_ They yelled in unison, but the Death Eaters facing Harry ducked. The one closest to Harry pointed his wand at Ron and began an incantation – but Ginny was quicker.

"_Muco blocus!_" – and enormous bats were flying out of the Death Eater's nose. He cried out in surprise and agony. The other two went to help him; they grabbed at his nose and squeezed it shut, probably trying to keep any more bats from zooming out. But this only made the Death Eater angrier, and he opened his mouth to yell at his companions, but was unable to due to the huge bats now flying out of his mouth. They zipped straight at the other Death Eaters, hitting them repeatedly on the face and slapping them with their dark leathery wings. They tried swatting at the bats and shooting them with spell from their wands, but the things just kept on swooping, hitting, and flapping.

Harry had been enjoying the show, but distant yells from inside the house brought him out of his amused trance. _"Finite Incantatem,"_ he said, and the bat immediately ceased their attacks on the Death Eaters and faded away into smoke.

"_Petrificus maximus!"_ he cast, and the weakened, remaining Death Eaters slumped to the floor.

Another yell for help came from inside the house. "Ron, Ginny! There are more of them inside! We can leave these here, let's go!" The three teenagers ran into the house together, wands raised and ready.

Harry was only inside for a few seconds before he had to dodge a yellow jet of light aimed at his arm. Instead, it bounced off the sink, leaving a deep smoking brand in the granite. Another spell flew towards them at rapid speed. Harry ducked, and Ron moved out of the way just in time, but Ginny caught the blast, and hunched over onto to the ground.

"Ginny!" Ron cried, and dropped to the floor next to her. He tilted his head towards her chest and was quiet for a moment. "She's still breathing," Ron told Harry, looking very much relieved.

"What happened?" Charlie emerged from the next room and shouted over the cries and crashes coming from upstairs. He was holding an ice pack to his head. Obviously he had just woken up. "I just stunned one of them passing by, but not before he shot a couple of spells your way. Ginny!" His eyes widened when he saw his unconscious sister.

"She was hit with something, we don't know what it was." Harry informed him quickly. "But she's breathing, and has a pulse."

Charlie stared at Ginny's still form for a moment. "Leave her here. If the Death Eaters think she's dead, she won't be in any harm."

Ron looked flabbergasted. "But – but – Charlie!" He spluttered.

Charlie looked up at him. "Haven't you read any Shakespeare, Ron? Faking death always works," he smiled very slightly, but it disappeared quickly. "Trust me. Ginny will be fine. She's safest where she is, where the Death Idiots think she's finished. Now, you two, get out of here."

Harry objected. "No, we have to help – your parents – Bill – Fred, George – Fleur – "

"No!" Charlie looked angry now. "Harry, you're in too much danger! The Ministry had to set up special wards around the house so that you were able to visit for the day! Your life is the main concern here! Get out, and get help. We'll hold them off until then." Charlie adjusted his ice pack, pulled out his wand, and hurdled up the staircase to rejoin the fight.

Harry looked back at Ron. Ron gazed back and forth between Ginny's body and the staircase, and then back at Harry. He nodded.

The boys pulled out their wands and started up the stairs, ignoring Charlie's orders. They heard the first cries in the last bedroom on the left side, and made haste towards it. There, Harry and Ron found Mrs. Weasley crouched up against the wall, screaming at the curses whizzing towards her. Her wand was sticking out of the robes of the black-clad Death Eater who was torturing her.

_"Crucio!"_ He sneered, and Mrs. Weasley howled as the pain-inducing curse spread throughout her body, causing her to shudder and spasm, muscles twitching and bones cracking as her back arched and then gave out.

Ron started towards him, red in the face and eyes blazing. "Reducto!" He bellowed, and the Death Eater was lifted off the ground and slammed against the wall.

"Mum!" Harry watched from the doorway as Ron hurried towards his mother. He crouched down and lifted her onto the bed where she lay shaking.

"Mum, are you alright?" Ron asked her frantically, shaking her arms to waken her.

Mrs. Weasley caught her breath after a few moments. "Just…fine…Ronald." She tried to sit up in bed.

"Don't, Mrs. Weasley, just stay here. Help is on the way," Harry lied. Mrs. Weasley nodded faintly, and fell back on the bed.

"Ron, are you okay?" Harry asked his friend.

Ron tore his eyes away from his sleeping mother. "Fine. I'm not the one who was hit with the Cruciatus, was I?" He smiled weakly, but looked miserable.

Harry hesitated, but nodded. If Ron wanted to lighten the situation now, that was fine. But Ron's closest family members were dropping like flies, and they would have to discuss it more when there weren't Death Eaters in the house.

As if on cue, a fresh scream sounded from the attic, followed by more blasts and clanging. "Come on." Harry and Ron dashed back out of the room, but not before Ron took a nice good kick at the unconscious Death Eater's head.

They ran into the hallway, and Ron yanked on the chain that pulled down the attic stairs. He climbed them first, jumping with a thud onto the floorboards above. Harry made to follow him, but only had one foot on the steps what he heard feet running behind him. Swiveling around, Harry saw half a dozen new Death Eaters rambling up the main staircase, black robes billowing behind them sinisterly.

When they spotted Harry, they wasted no time in jumping at him.

_"Expelliarmus!"_ A feminine voice cried, and Harry's wand flew across the hall into her hands.

"Ooh, is baby Potter trapped again? Always get yourself into sticky situations, don't you, boy?" the voice crooned. The other Death Eaters laughed mirthlessly.

Harry recognized the voice immediately. Bellatrix Lestrange. Anger flowed through his body, paralyzing him and blocking out all other emotions. _Revenge, revenge,_ his instincts told him. _Revenge for Sirius._

Harry started towards her with every intention to rip her apart. He didn't care that he didn't have a wand and was armed with nothing but his own fists. He was going to kill her; he was going to kill the woman who killed Sirius.

That was the last thing on his mind before a spell hit him, somebody screamed, and the world blacked out.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Okay, so, at least you all know what happened, right?

_Trivia Question:_ In which plays of Shakespeare's did someone fake his or her own death? Come on, you English Lit. nerds, awaken and arise!

Review replies are on my user profile!

Adieu,

LaRohaZeta


	20. Worries And Journeys

Okay, this is my last update for the next few weeks, because this time tomorrow I'll be sitting on a beach in the Caribbean sipping pina coladas and…probably working on Au Pair. Sigh. What can I say? I'm addicted.

So, here's the news you were really waiting for: the title of the sequel to Au Pair is….(drum role, please)…. Serendipity! Yay! There are two reasons for that, the first being that most series have some sort of theme in the title. So I thought to myself, _hey self, listen up: why not make the theme 'Chick Flicks'?_ And Au Pair and Serendipity are two of the chickiest, flickest (?) chick flicks ever made. The other reason is sort of obvious – Harry thought he lost his mother, and then finds her when he wasn't really looking in the first place. So there you have it!

I was very glad to see that most of you are up on your Shakespeare knowledge, although it was a bit disturbing that some people didn't know how to spell 'Romeo and Juliet". Wince. Right, so, thanks to **silver fairy dust** for having the first partial answer, and many _many_ thanks to **tweets** and **ethyr nior** for giving me the other answer I was looking for – Much Ado About Nothing! Incidentally, two of my favorite Shakespeare plays. But I'll save the third for the trivia question ;-)

**Disclaimer:** My momma always told me that the Harry Potter characters are like a friend's box of chocolates…you really want them, but they belong to someone else.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"The Burrow? Harry's at the Burrow!" Lily panicked. "What if they've got him right now, and –"

"We must stay calm." Dumbledore insisted, although he looked worried himself. "Order have already been alerted, and the Aurors should be on their way soon."

Lily was still anxious. "Dumbledore, please, let me go too –"

"No." He told her simply. "You know we can't allow Harry see you in wizarding company, let alone fighting off Death Eaters. It'll draw too much attention to your real identity."

"Why can't we just tell him I'm an Order member in disguise, like Arabella Figg?"

"Lily, we've been over this before," Dumbledore said wearily. "Can you imagine Petunia's reaction to discovering that a witch has been living under her roof for weeks? In her opinion, Harry is bad enough."

"She won't find out, we'll be careful –"

"It is much too risky. I cannot allow it." He continued in a softer tone. "I'm sorry, Lily. I know how much to you want to open up to Harry. But we're getting so close; this potion could be the answer to _all_ of our problems." Dumbledore put a strange emphasis on the word 'all'.

"Fine." Lily pulled herself out of her frustration. "But the Burrow, how will we know what's going on?"

Dumbledore looked determined. "I'm going over there now, to make sure the reinforcements have arrived safely. Stay here, I'll send back news as soon as I can." And before Lily could open her mouth to reply, Dumbledore had grabbed hold of Fawkes' tail and disappeared.

Lily slumped back down in her seat dejectedly. How was she supposed to sit here in this office, drumming her fingers on the desk, when Harry could be lying somewhere in the Weasleys' house, dead?

She shuddered. _Don't think like that. He'll be fine; Harry can take care of himself. Most of the newly recruited Death Eaters aren't the most experienced fighters, anyway. _Voldemort was probably in a rush to get support.

_But would he really send amateurs to go after the only person who can defeat him?_

o-o

Lily's anxiety was unbearable after half an hour of waiting. _What on earth is taking Dumbledore so long?_ She wasn't sure how much more waiting she could take. She decided to wait five more minutes, and if Dumbledore still hadn't contacted her, Lily would go to the Burrow herself.

But that turned out to be unnecessary.

_Pop!_ A flash of fire above Dumbledore's desk brought a scroll, which Lily hungrily unrolled.

_Harry has been Stunned by Bellatrix Lestrange and was taken to St. Mungo's. More information later._

_A.D._

Lily rubbed her temples irritably. She felt a headache coming on.

Part of her was relieved – a Stunner wasn't so bad. It could have been much, much worse, Lily wasn't foolish enough not to know this. But another part of her was even uneasier than before. Why would Harry have been taken to the hospital if he were only Stunned? Was there something Dumbledore wasn't telling her?

o-o

Long minutes followed – some of the worst Lily had ever faced. And she had faced many.

Finally, about ten minutes after she received the message, Dumbledore popped back into his office with Fawkes in his arms. He looked weary and tired, yet relieved.

"Everyone will live," he told Lily before she had a chance to ask.

Well that's a rather foreboding way to greet me.

As if sensing her thoughts again, Dumbledore smiled slightly. "What I mean is, no one has been critically injured during the fight at the Burrow."

"Harry?"

"Has been taken to St. Mungo's, as I wrote you." He frowned slightly. "He was at the receiving end of one of Bellatrix Lestrange's Stunners. It was a very powerful one – I admit, one of the most powerful ones I have ever seen. But it was still only a Stunner, and I arrived just in time to stop her from doing more damage."

"How powerful, exactly?" Lily asked cautiously.

Dumbledore sighed. "Harry was sent into a deep state of unconsciousness. He probably won't be able to be _Enervated_ until a few hours."

Lily nodded. "How are the others? The Weasleys, and the Order?"

"As I said, all will live." He continued at Lily's raised eyebrow. "Ginevra Weasley was hit with a foreign Dark spell. She had been taken to St. Mungo's as well. But as soon as the Healers figure out what she was hit with, they say they should be able to revive her. Molly Weasley was hit with the Cruciatus Curse over a dozen times, and is in critical condition, but her Healers also say they'll be able to help. As we speak, she is making a slow yet steady recovery. The rest of the family and the Order and Aurors escaped the battle with only some minor injuries, but Mediwizards were able to help them on site."

"And the Death Eaters?"

"We managed to round up a few of them, but my guess is that there were over twenty Death Eaters there today. The rest Apparated from the scene, taking their wounded with them," Dumbledore finished.

Lily was silent for a minute. "All right. Then I'm off to St. Mungo's. Good day, Dumbledore. Thank you for the tea." She stood.

"What?" It was not every day that Albus Dumbledore was startled. "Lily, you can't –"

"Why can't I?" She challenged. "Harry's my son, and I deserve the right to see him when he's sick. Besides, you told me he was unconscious. So he'll never even know that I was there. And I'll use a fake name if you wish."

Dumbledore looked like he was going to argue for a moment, but decided against it. He nodded. "Very well. Go to St. Mungo's. Use a fake name. And don't let him see you."

o-o

Lily stared through the glass window at the black haired boy lying very still on his hospital bed. His glasses sat neatly on the small table beside the bed, next to a glass of water and a goblet of potion. A small window was the only thing that decorated the wall across from the bed. Nothing in the room had moved for hours, including the teenage wizard who occupied it.

Lily sighed. It hadn't been simple getting here, and now she was being prevented from going into the room when she was so very close.

She had made the trip easily enough – walking to the Hogwarts kitchens from Dumbledore's office and Flooing to the visitor's entrance of St. Mungo's. No, that had been the simple part. When she had asked the Help Witch at the reception desk where Harry Potter's room was, she had given her a suspicious glare and coldly requested who it was that wanted to know. Lily had said "a friend", and was given the reply that only _immediate family_ could go to Harry Potter's room in his state, for visiting hours were over. Lily had argued with the witch – used a handful of words that James had taught her, which she thought suited the occasion – and was finally taken to Harry's room. But she would have to wait until he woke up to enter.

_As if._

Lily looked around her. No Healers or staff members were nearby. She pulled out her wand and tapped the lock. _"Alohamora!"_ The door opened at her push. For one second, Lily was angry – how could hospital security be so loose? But she entered anyway.

Immediately, Lily waved her wand at the window, and it was magically tinted so that no one outside could see her. She was breaking almost every hospital rule, she knew this, but somehow didn't quite care as she looked down at her son's peaceful, sleeping face.

o-o

Lily stayed at Harry's side for an hour. The window across from his bed showed that it was already dark outside. She wanted to stay longer, but she knew she should get back to the Dursleys'. Lily supposed she would have to tell them that Harry had decided to spend the night at his friend's house. She prayed that he would wake up before his aunt and uncle got suspicious.

Bending over to make sure that he was still out cold, Lily tucked in the sheets around him. "Sleep well, Harry." She kissed his cheek lightly, and left the room as carefully as possible.

Lily completely missed the green eye that opened, just a fraction, before she turned around.

o-o

_Shapes blurred around him. Colors and sounds mixed, creating one crazy mixed dimension, the kind only possible to understand in dreams. People passed by, talking to him. People he liked stopped to chat with him. People he didn't like hissed insults. Many were people he knew. A few were people he wished he knew._

_Things that had happened in the past combined with others. Harry watched as he stabbed a large mirror with a bloody fang. The cold floor he was sleeping on shook as Hermione crashed down the front door to tell him that he was a wizard. A Hungarian Horntail attacked Draco Malfoy during their Care of Magical Creatures class._

And Harry woke suddenly with the image of a dark-haired woman in his head.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

This last bit was sort of rushed because I still have to finish packing. Sorry. But you get the idea. The dark-haired woman was Lily (Tabitha), by the way. I hope that was clear.

Trivia Question: Can you guess my third favorite Shakespeare play? HINT: a movie, starring Julia Stiles, was loosely based on it. Remember, I don't want the movie name – I want the play! (But if you know the movie too, you can guess that. I won't hurt you.)

Review responses are on my user profile! Goodbye everyone! Have a good two weeks!

LaRohaZeta


	21. Ennervate

Hello, friends! I'm back from the beautiful Caribbean, rested and tanned and more ready than ever to serve you generous helpings of Au Pair! Oh, how I missed the nano-electric glare of the computer screen. Sigh.

School starts soon (the sigh is real this time), so chapters will start to become a little unsteady at that point. But hopefully, Au Pair will be over by then, and Serendipity will be ready to roll! Are you psyched? Cuz I am!

I got in a lot of writing during my vaca; so expect quick updates for the next two and a half weeks. Also, we're getting closer and closer to the end (!), so chapters may get longer. I know, sucks, right? 8-P

Great job **Dracis Tran** for giving me the correct answer to the trivia question! Yes, it is indeed Taming of the Shrew, and the movie with Julia Stiles is 10 Things I Hate About You! Funny stuff, noi?

Alright, I've ranted enough for one note, so here's the chapter!

**Disclaimer:** If I was a rich girl… I'd buy Harry Potter!

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"_So what did the Healer say?"_

"_He should be coming around soon. Lestrange's Stunner had enough power to take him out for days; we're lucky something made him want to wake up."_

"_And then they'll be able to un-Stun him, right?"_

"_Dad just told you two seconds ago, as soon as he's ready to wake. Should be any minute now."_

"_Shh! Look, he's moving!"_

"_Oh my!"_

"_Fred, get a Healer, quick!"_

"_Healer Lawrence! Healer Lawrence! He moved a bit!"_

"_Move aside, dear. Ennervate."_

o-o

Harry had the most peculiar feeling of flailing about in a dark room and then having a light switched on without warning.

He opened his eyes carefully, only to find half a dozen heads crouched over him, blocking his view. Harry had to shut his eyes again at once. All that red hair was blinding him.

"Eighteen inches of personal space, please?" Harry croaked. A few people laughed, and Harry heard the shuffling on six pairs of legs.

Harry opened his eyes one more time. Ron, Charlie, Fred, George, and Mr. Weasley were all standing a little ways from his bed, smiling at him. A woman in a white uniform was putting her wand back in her pocket.

"Mr. Potter." The Healer smiled gently. "How do you feel?"

"Fine," Harry said blankly. And then he remembered – "Mrs. Weasley, Ginny? How are they? And everyone else - is everyone else okay?"

Mr. Weasley bit his lip worriedly. "There were no losses on our side. We were extremely lucky. The Aurors and Order members came for reinforcements, you see. But Ginny – well, she was hit with something very Dark, and nobody's quite sure what it was. But there's a team of Researchers working on her case as we speak, and they've been making excellent progress."

"Researchers?" Harry questioned.

"St. Mungo's pride and joy," Charlie broke in. "Researchers are investigative Healers, if you will. They're the ones who are responsible for finding new techniques and cures in magical medicine. They work closely with the Department of Mysteries, but hopefully Ginny's problem won't be so severe that it'll have to go all the way to the top." Charlie finished heavily.

Harry nodded. "And Mrs. Weasley?"

This question was met with silence from the Weasley men. Ron spoke up eventually.

"Mum, she – they said…" Ron swallowed hard. "The Healers said that she might not ever be the same again."

Harry was taken aback, not sure what to say at this, or even who to say it to. But Mr. Weasley, who rather abruptly left the room with only a faint "excuse me" as his parting remark, spared Harry the trouble of filling the silence.

"He's gone to see Mum again." Fred watched his father's progress through the fogged window. "He's been there for hours, only came out once when he heard that you were waking up, Harry."

"Don't get us wrong, mate." George looked at Harry. "We're glad that you're alright, but with Mum and Ginny –"

"Don't worry about it," Harry assured him quickly. "Go ahead and see them. I'm fine here."

"Actually, Mr. Potter," Healer Lawrence, who had been standing in the corner during this conversation, came out of the shadows. "You'll be just as fine at home. Since you're awake and obviously alert, feel free to check out downstairs at the Help desk at any time. An Auror will be called to escort you home, I believe."

"Thank you, I'll do that." Harry smiled a little, and the Healer left. "See? There's no point in worrying over a cured patient, is there? Your mum and sister need you more," he told the brothers.

"Alright, alright, you win, Harry." Charlie held up his hands, signaling defeat, and exited the room.

"Gred, I think I can see that we're not wanted here," George sighed to his twin, wearing a look of extreme pain.

"Come, Forge. I believe that Harry wished to be alone with Ronnikens," Fred said regretfully, pretending to wipe a tear from his cheek. The twins left as well.

"Gits," Ron muttered softly, but with less zeal than usual. He was worried.

"Ron, you don't have to stay either."

"I'm not. I'll just help you check out, and then I'm going to see Ginny. Dad'll probably want to be alone with Mum." Ron's strained smile was not very reassuring.

o-o

Five minutes later, Harry and Ron were standing at the front desk on the first floor, waiting to be assisted.

"Yes, hello," Harry addressed the witch at the desk when it was finally his turn. "Harry Potter, checking out from the Carmen Sedgwick Ward, Semi-Extreme Curses,"

She flipped through a couple of folders and pulled one out of the top pile. "Here you are." She handed it to him. "There's the visitor's list, medical record, history, and bill for care. How would you like to pay for your treatment?"

"Oh, er, I dunno. Can you just take the gold out of my Gringott's account?"

"Certainly. Sign here, please. In this quill." The witch slid a form and a heavy black quill across the counter towards him. "That's just a Security Quill, to identify that as your true signature," she added at his suspicious look.

"Er, right." Harry signed the dotted line at the bottom of the page, quill buzzing in his hand.

"Thank you. Please check through your folder to make sure that all your papers are in order. Have a nice day," the witch said mechanically.

Harry flipped through the folder idly, skimming a couple of pages. Ron was looking over his shoulder.

"They're charging you _that much_ for a few hour's bed time and an enervate spell?" Ron asked skeptically.

Harry shrugged. "It says here on the medical form that Healer Lawrence gave me some kind of potion while I was unconscious." He replied distractedly. "Wait!"

The witch at the desk turned back to him. "Yes, may I help you?" She asked blankly.

"I was just here ten seconds ago." Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, right." The witch blushed a little. "Well, what can I do for you?"

Harry slid a page back to her. "The visitor's list says that someone called 'Rose Burns' visited my room at 5:26 PM. But I don't know any Rose Burns."

The witch didn't look very concerned. "I can't tell you much about it. I wasn't on duty when she was let in. My shift starts at six." The woman's expression suddenly became excited. "I did hear something from Elaine, though, about a bit of a commotion down here, at around 5:30. She was on duty then, see, and there was a woman who came in demanding to see a patient. She started yelling and fussing when Elaine wouldn't let her in - visiting hours for non-family members were over, you know - and they eventually had to call security to escort her out of the building."

"If she was kicked out of the hospital, then why is her name on my visitor's list?" Harry asked confusedly.

"She eventually calmed down, and Elaine was so relieved that she let her in."

Harry didn't comment on the stupidity of this. Instead, he turned to Ron. "Have you ever heard of a Rose Burns?"

Ron shook his head. "Never heard the name before. And I wasn't in your room until about a quarter to seven, when we first heard that you were coming around." He added at Harry's worried look, "it can't have been a Death Eater or anything like that, Harry, if that's what you're thinking. St. Mungo's security was heightened after that Broderick Bode incident with the Devil's Snare. Dad was telling me about it."

Harry was only slightly reassured, but he gave up the matter for the time being.

"Look Ron, I don't think that Auror's here yet, but I want you to know – if you need anything, I'm here."

Ron nodded stiffly, understanding. "Thanks, mate. Actually, there is something – could you write to Hermione, and tell her what happened, and about…about Mum, and Ginny and everything?"

"Of course. Leave it to me." To his right, Harry saw an imposing Kingsley Shacklebolt enter the waiting room, looking around for him. "I have to go. Take care of yourself, alright? And keep me posted."

"I will," Ron promised.

o-o

_Dear Hermione,_

_I promised Ron that I would write this letter to you – he wanted you to know what was going on. There was an attack on the Burrow today, while I was visiting. Death Eaters. Ron and I are both fine, although I was out cold for a few hours. But Ginny and Mrs. Weasley were both hurt. Mrs. Weasley had the Cruciatus put on her a bunch of times. The Healers are afraid that there might be permanent damage. I didn't want to harass the Weasley for details, but it sounds like she might be in a condition similar to the Longbottoms'. _

_Ginny was hit with a Dark spell. No one knows too much about it, which is the only reason that she's not making a lot of progress. A team at St. Mungo's is trying to identify what curse she was under, but until they know what that it, she won't be waking up any time soon._

_Everyone else is okay. The Weasleys are pretty much camping out at the hospital until there's any news. Ron would have written you himself, but he's with Ginny and his mum._

_Hope you're well,_

_Harry_

_P.S. Have you ever heard of a witch called 'Rose Burns'? Just let me know if the name sounds familiar._

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

And thus ends chapter twenty-one…

A note about some of your reviews: RELAX! I know what I'm talking about here, this story has been planned out since its birth. All of your (I admit, _very_ clever) questions will be answered within in the next few chapters. So stay tuned!

_Trivia Question:_ This is a tough one – does anyone know the origins of the 'eighteen inches of personal space' comment that Harry favors in this chapter? Good luck!

L8R G8RS!

LaRohaZeta


	22. Homecoming

School is approaching fast, and I cannot say that I'm thrilled. It's not that I'm dreading another year of work, teachers, and classes; it's just…you know how it is. Who's bright idea was it to make summer so short, anyway?

Special thanks to **tandora tamaria789** and **misfit2008 **for giving me the right answers to the trivia question! The movie was indeed 13 Conversations About One Thing! Props to you guys, that was tough!

Here's a shout out to all the reviewers of _To Die Laughing_: YOU PEOPLE ROCK!

I like this chapter; it's got a good little mix of humor and angst. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** If I were JKR, the _Half-Blood Prince_ would have been very different. I mean, I'm not about to go all _Misery_ on her, but I was no happy camper after reading #6.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

For the first time in a long time, Lily was glad that she arrived home just in time to make the Dursleys' dinner. Cooking was something that she could distract herself with. Almost anything was better than thinking about Harry, lying motionless on his hospital bed.

The Dursleys were in fine moods. Vernon had had an excellent day at work, where he had insisted on going – even though it was a Saturday. He boastfully told his family about the new hardware chain in Bristol that was considering selling his drills. Petunia was positively gleeful about this. It helped that she hadn't had a terrible day herself. The baby had kicked relatively harder and longer than usual. He (or she) wasn't due until the middle of August, but was already showing signs of being a healthy child.

As for Dudley – he had knocked out two of his opponent's teeth during boxing practice that afternoon. This news was met with hearty smiles and "that's my boy"s from his parents, whereas Lily had grimaced to herself and imagined some unfortunate loose-jawed sixteen year old who would have to see the dentist more times in the next month than he had in all his past years put together.

Dinner was finished, plates cleared, and Lily given her instructions for the next day. Only when she had started pouring Vernon his after-dinner glass of brandy did he think to ask,

"Where's that boy gotten off to?"

Lily was about to explain how he had slept over at a friend's house when the front door opened and Harry appeared, as if on cue. Lily just caught a glimpse of a tall black wizard Disapperating before the front door fully shut and Harry strode into the kitchen.

"Where were you, boy?" Vernon glared at Harry.

"Helping Mrs. Figg with her groceries," Harry replied coolly, holding something behind his back.

"Hmph." Vernon treated Harry to a long rant about how being charitable was a waste of time, and if he really wanted to unload the old spinster's bags, he should demand to paid. "And, you've missed your dinner, so you'll just have to do without it tonight," he finished, sneering.

Harry shrugged as if he couldn't care less. "Fine by me." He disappeared into the cupboard.

Vernon turned to Lily, taking his brandy from her hands. "Make sure he doesn't sneak any food. If he's so ungrateful as to interrupt our meal, then he doesn't deserve one himself."

Lily ground her teeth, but her face impassive. "Absolutely, sir."

o-o

_Knock knock_.

Harry looked up from his letter. "Come in."

Tabitha appeared, holding out a tray. "Room service."

Harry slipped the parchment and quill under his bed. "Wow," he said as she sat the tray down in front of him.

Meats – sliced, grilled, broiled – with potatoes prepared in every imaginable way, and piles of vegetables, both cooked and raw. Salad had its own plate. Dishes of olives and boiled eggs and candied fruits sat beside the platter of assorted cheeses and the loaf of bread. For desert, there was chocolate cake, and tiramisu, and a bowl of fruit salad.

"I think you have the wrong room. Dudley's is upstairs," Harry joked, a little shocked.

"Oh, don't worry, these are just his leftovers," Tabitha replied, amused.

After they had both laughed for a little while, Harry asked her, "Seriously though. Why all the food?" _It's like being back at Hogwarts._

Tabitha hesitated. "I thought you must be hungry and tired after…helping Mrs. Figg with her groceries," she tried lamely.

"Er, okay." Harry decided not to push it. Instead, he made his way through all the food while Tabitha filled him in on all the Dursleys' good news.

"…and your uncle's got a new drill client. Some hardware chain up in Bristol wants to buy his whole new line of three-step-assembly drills. I know, terribly exciting. Honestly, I can't think of any job more excruciating than selling drills."

"I can," Harry interrupted halfway through his eggs. "How about taking orders from the Dursleys all day long?"

Tabitha paused, looking uncomfortable with his sudden attack. "It's not so bad," she said quietly. "Room and board are free, and the hours are agreeable."

"Your hours are non-stop!"

"I didn't expect anything less."

"But you don't even get paid – at least, not really."

"I _do_ get paid. And I have you to thank for that." Tabitha smiled. "Your aunt seemed to think that my 'putting up with you' gave me a right to some money every week in addition to the free food and house space."

"So you're getting paid to spend time with me?" Harry asked acidly.

Tabitha looked angry, to Harry's surprise. "Harry, _must _you search for reasons to be mad at me? First you act agitated because I agreed to work for the Dursleys, and then you get annoyed because it turns out that I'm taking money from them? You're not just arguing with me; you're arguing with yourself!"

A mix of anger and shame rose in Harry. "If I'm so hard to deal with, maybe you should go ask Aunt Petunia for more money," he snapped.

Tabitha looked shocked and hurt. "I can just leave if you want to be alone," she spoke quietly, standing and picking up the empty tray.

"No, don't go," Harry reached for her hand and pulled her back onto the bed. "I'm sorry." He sighed heavily. "I shouldn't have snapped at you. I've just had a rough day, is all."

Tabitha seemed concerned. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Harry sighed. He had never wanted to reveal his secret to a Muggle more than now. "Not really. Just don't take what I said the wrong way. It's not that I want you to leave – not at all. You're the best thing that's happened to Number Four in years, that damned baby included."

Tabitha smiled slightly. "You shouldn't judge the baby before it actually comes, you know."

"No, I guess I shouldn't," Harry admitted. "I feel bad for it, actually. The poor thing will have to grow up with the Dursleys."

"You had to grow up with the Dursleys, too," Tabitha reminded him sadly.

Harry considered this. "Well, at least I had one year with my parents," he said softly. "And I think I must have been happy there."

Tabitha coughed a little. "I'm sure you were." She wiped rather roughly at her face. "I still have all those dishes to clean. Maybe I'll do a couple before I go to bed. Goodnight, Harry."

She was gone a second later, leaving him as always to wonder over her strange behavior.

o-o

Lily had always been very freethinking and independent. But, like most people, she occasionally followed the ways of others.

So now, she was bent over a saucepan in the Dursleys kitchen, stirring milk and cocoa powder with a wooden spoon. Seeing Remus again (Was that really only a few hours ago?) had reminded Lily of how much her friend had trusted chocolate to reverse his unsettling moods.

The warm, sweet-smelling steam in her face helped clear out her mind a little, leaving her free to think.

_What a day._

All she had planned on was to have a relaxing tea with the Headmaster. Instead, she'd had the most dramatic day she'd seen in fifteen years. An encounter with Remus, fights with Dumbledore, sudden elation over the Total-Reversal Tonic to sudden horror over the Death Eater attack, practically breaking into St. Mungo's and then fighting with Harry – it was all too much.

Lily added a few drops of vanilla to her hot chocolate and stirred it thoroughly. Was she a terrible mother? She couldn't believe that she had gotten angry with Harry. The poor boy had almost died today – Lily got chills at the thought. He had watched friends drop in front of him, had seen people he cared about tortured and mortified – yet he had come home at the end of the day, perfectly ready to joke with her about Dudley's weight. How did he do it? How did Harry get so brave? Lily wasn't sure if it was the James in him shining through, or if Harry was just naturally a fighter. Either way, Lily had done him a dishonor by fighting with him. Hadn't Harry earned the right to be irritable today? Of course _he _had been upset; his friend and her mother were lying on hospital beds at that very moment, struggling to survive. So where did Lily get off, blowing up at him like that? She had unleashed the Evans Temper – dubbed by Sirius, who had used to call it the Mr. Hyde to her Dr. Jekyll – on Harry, her only son, who had already been through so much and seen so much, and even had the humility to flatter her soon after ceasing to be angry with her – Lily was ashamed.

Hot chocolate alone just wasn't going to be enough. Lily searched through the Dursleys' cabinets and eventually pulled out a bottle of _Flor de Caña._ She would have to take a leaf out of James' book as well.

_Sorry Remus._

Yes, a little rum in her hot chocolate would do the trick.

o-o

_Rose Burns…Rose Burns…_the name wouldn't stop spinning around in Harry's head. Other thoughts, like those of Ginny and Mrs. Weasley, were only a misuse of his energy and wouldn't do anything. Worrying about his friends wouldn't help them. Harry believed that he was better off solving the mystery of Rose Burns.

He couldn't remember ever meeting or hearing about a witch or Muggle of that name. Rose Burns was no teacher of his nor any friend he knew of nor an Order member he had been introduced to. Harry had no relatives left except for the ones he spent his summers with. If this Rose Burns character were an important figure in his life, someone – Dumbledore, Sirius, or Hagrid – would have told him about her. Therefore, the only logical option he was left with was that the name 'Rose Burns' was a false name or a code of some sort.

But that was only the beginning of the mystery. Who was she, and why did she come to visit him while he was unconscious? Why didn't she stay until he woke instead of just taking off? Harry mentally corrected himself, remembering Tabitha's advice of not jumping to conclusions about genders. Of course, the au pair had been referring to Aunt Petunia's baby, but the rule could apply to any situation, really. Rose Burns could be a man disguised as a woman – it wasn't as if that were a hard thing to do in the wizarding world.

Harry couldn't think of anyone who cared enough about him to make a big scene at the hospital just so they could see him, but wouldn't even stay until he regained consciousness. This type of behavior reminded Harry strongly of a Death Eater, but evidence and common sense weighed against that idea. Not only was there Ron's information to consider, about the improved hospital security – Harry also found it hard to believe that one of Voldemort's followers could sit by his bedside and not take advantage of his condition. Meaning, kill him.

The period of time where he was Stunned seem nonexistent to Harry. His time-line appeared to skip from Bellatrix pointing her wand at him to the Weasleys standing over his bed. But…as Harry thought hard, he supposed he should remember something, since he had been waking up at that point. And…yes! He did remember – someone…someone he had recognized, had come into his room, and had sat with him while he was asleep. Harry had seen the person's face and had heard their voice. And he hadn't been afraid.

So that definitely ruled out a Death Eater. But the options that were left were completely puzzling. Harry had had a visitor who obviously didn't want him to know their face or name. But why? Why would someone whom Harry was comfortable with – and who was probably comfortable with him – want to conceal their identity from him? Was it maybe someone who shouldn't have been there – or _couldn't_ have been there?

The first idea that came to Harry was so outrageous, it could be considered laughable. Sirius was dead, and he wasn't coming back, as Harry knew perfectly well. He only had to tell it to himself about a hundred times a day. Remus? Perhaps his being a werewolf would have made the hospital staff uneasy, and he had concealed himself as a woman in order to visit Harry? No, the scheme was much too absurd for anything Remus would do. And his old teacher would have stayed longer, anyway. Dumbledore? Well, Dumbledore's time was well occupied, and he was always running off to meetings, so it made sense that he wouldn't be able to stay very long. But why would Dumbledore feel the need to use a fake name?

Eventually, Harry came up with names so crazy that he had to shut off his light and use Occlumency to block them out. It only worked partially, however – Harry couldn't rid himself of dreams about Snape bringing him flowers and chocolates from the hospital gift shop, or Voldemort crying over his sick bed.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Ha, can you imagine? Excuse me for a moment while I go laugh my arse off.

(pause)

Back, sorry. Anyway, I have a couple of things to explain: Don't be angry with Lily for fighting with Harry. It was a hard day for her, even harder than Harry's, although she's too modest to admit it. She was really worried about Harry, and it's difficult for some people to express emotions like that (Lily and my dad are two very good examples). Lily just handled her fear in the wrong way, that's all.

Also, please don't ask me how I know that rum and hot chocolate are delicious together. It's one hell of a story. All I'll say is that it involves girl scout camp and one crazy night in Tijuana. You fill in the blanks! ;-)

No trivia this week, because reviews have been slacking. Instead, I'm designing a contest (a real one, with a real prize) to promote reviewing! See the rules below.

_Contest:_ This week has been kind of sucky, what with school starting soon and all. I figured I needed some comic relief. So, this contest is for all the comedians out there: review Au Pair and tell me your best joke. Whoever enters the one that makes me laugh the most will win! And here's the totally awesome prize: I will email you an upcoming chapter of Au Pair or Serendipity, and you'll get to beta it and read it before anyone else! I might even let you write the chapter name, if you think of a good one!

So what do you think? Good luck to everyone who enters! Review replies are on my profile, as always.

Have a pleasant Thursday!

LaRohaZeta


	23. Good News

School is in session! It's the same every year, really – new books, old lockers, scared little freshmen scurrying about the hallways. It just seems like summer flew by, and it was only yesterday that I was packing up my things and leaving! Too bad, really. I'm super busy this year (doesn't it seem like all the good Authors are?) so updates are going back to once a week, or whenever I have a bit of free time that isn't dedicated to school, volleyball, and extracurriculars. Stay tuned for further notes 'bout that.

So, about the much-anticipated contest: I have decided to extend it to this chapter as well, just incase anyone wants to offer another answer or didn't get a chance before. FYI: this does _not_ mean that I haven't picked a winner yet – I've just decided to be fair to those people who were still chillin' on Labor Day Weekend.

Anyway, on we go!

**Disclaimer:** You'd think that by the twenty-third chapter, they'd finally start to figure it out. I disclaim everything.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Things were quiet at the Dursley residence on Sunday, the 21st of July. Harry was steadily becoming obsessed with the Rose Burns mystery. He had gone through every face he knew, and could remember seeing none of them at St. Mungo's. Neither Stan Shunpike nor Dolores Umbridge nor Lucius Malfoy had come to see him (at least, he hoped), but Harry wasn't giving up. A response from Hermione would be coming soon.

Just as Harry expected, Hermione's letter arrived that very morning.

_Harry,_

_How horrible, about Ginny and Mrs. Weasley! I can't believe this has happened! Ron and his family must be suffering so. I wish I could be there with you all, but I'm in Greece now with my parents and the next flight to London isn't until the beginning of August._

_Harry, I'm worried. If you were visiting the Burrow, there must have been strong magical protection spells guarding the area. So how did the Death Eaters break them? I hope you realize how serious this is, Harry. If Voldemort could penetrate the Ministry's defenses, I'm not sure how hard it would be for them to break Dumbledore's. I really, truly hope that you're safe at the Dursleys', but I wouldn't be surprised if Professor Dumbledore decided to relocate you somewhere else for the rest of the summer._

_How are you, anyway? I know you said you were 'out cold' for a few hours, but are you sure you're alright now? Please don't feel as if you don't have the right to be unwell just because Ginny and Mrs. Weasley are in worse conditions. _

_As to your question about Rose Burns, I honestly don't know anything about her. But Harry – please don't dwell on it too much. You have a tendency to ignore pressing matters in favor of things that really don't concern you (for instance: the Second Task, Occlumency). You should be focusing on Ginny and Mrs. Weasley, not worrying about this Rose Burns character, whoever she may be._

_Send my love to the Weasleys,_

_Hermione_

Harry was torn between feeling angry with Hermione for scolding him and guilty for the truth in her words. Maybe she was right; maybe he should just set this mystery aside for the time being. But Harry couldn't think about the Weasleys – it was causing him too much pain.

So, in an effort to distract himself from his own thoughts, Harry scribbled a reply to Hermione and then resorted to an activity that had occupied much of his time recently – he went downstairs to help Tabitha with her chores.

o-o

"We're throwing a welcoming party for the baby," Vernon declared proudly as he stomped down the staircase, straightening his tie.

"What?" Lily looked up from the pile of laundry she was sorting.

"A party, Ms. Royce. For the baby. We're throwing one." Vernon spoke as if she were stupid.

Lily bit back another nasty remark. "That sounds lovely. Can I help in any way?"

"No, you'll be gone by the time of the actually party. End of August, you know. But you will stuff and address these envelopes." Vernon handed her a couple of stacks. "Here is a list of guests, blank envelopes, and the invitations. Petty did them up yesterday, bless her. She wants you to make her a chocolate tart, by the way. And a dish of martini olives."

"Mr. Dursley, where are _you_ going? It's a Sunday, you can't possibly have work."

Vernon finished adjusting his tie. "My potential client in Bristol turned out to be a very religious man. I'm going to church with him. I'll be back by six, after our meeting, and I want all those envelopes to be done by then, so I can get them ready for mailing." He turned to the door.

Lily looked down at the list of names. "Wait, sir – there are over a hundred names here –"

But Vernon was already out the door and as good as gone.

_Damn it. How am I going to get all of these done by six?_ Lily thought pessimistically. 

"Need some help?"

Lily turned toward the staircase. Harry was grinning at her, ballpoint pen in hand.

o-o

"Honestly, Harry, you're a lifesaver. I don't know how I would have finished so many of these without you," Tabitha exclaimed, setting aside her fifteenth completed envelope.

Harry smiled. "Don't mention it." He couldn't think of any more adequate response, since 'I enjoy playing slave for the Dursleys' was a flat-out lie, and 'it helps take my mind off things' would have led to sticky questions.

Really, he couldn't have been happier with the task Vernon had supplied for them. It was careful, engrossing work, that couldn't be completed with a wandering mind. Harry barely thought about his friends at all, unless he came across a name like 'Molly' or 'George', when his thoughts would stray a bit from 488 Piker's Path in Hastings to St. Mungo's Hospital in London. Then, he would strike up a conversation with Tabitha.

"I wonder where the baby's going to sleep, anyway," Harry remarked when he came across a Ronald and Nancy Jeevers in High Clampton. "The Dursleys obviously won't put it in my broom cupboard – they would care about it too much."

Tabitha pursed her lips in the act of stuffing an invitation into a blank envelope. "I remember Petunia telling me that they were going to start redecorating the guest bedroom – the room I'm in now – once they find out the baby's sex."

Harry didn't look up from his letter. "So what room will you go into?"

Tabitha smiled strangely. "I'll be gone, Harry."

Harry looked up at her. "Oh. Right."

In truth, he had never really thought about Tabitha's leaving Privet Drive. During her short stay, the two of them had grown very close, or at least Harry thought so. At least, much closer than he would have foreseen. If he had to give it a name, he would call what was between them a friendship, although it wasn't anything like his bond with Ron and Hermione. It was…well, Harry couldn't quite put his finger on it. But he did know that the closest thing he had ever had to it was with Sirius. He could only hope that his relationship with Tabitha wouldn't end in a similar way.

But it would end. It would have to, once the baby came, in only a few weeks, and Tabitha handed the care of Number Four back over to Aunt Petunia.

Harry realized that he hated that baby now more than he had before.

o-o

"Can I ask you something, Harry?" Lily spoke a little while later. She was now close to the end of her pile of envelopes.

"Sure." Harry, also, was almost finished.

"Why did you lie to the Dursleys about where you went yesterday?"

Harry paused. "They don't like my friends very much. I guess you could say they have a bad history together."

Lily said no more. She had already treaded into dangerous waters by mentioning the Weasley family. But she thought that Harry would be expecting her to say something about the previous day, and she wasn't going to dare ask him if he'd had a good time.

Another silence passed between them while they each returned to their own work.

"Done." Harry said brightly, about ten minutes later. He leaned back in his chain casually, cradling the back of his head with his hands. It was a posture that reminded Lily strongly of Sirius.

"So am I." Lily checked her watch. "And we finished three hours earlier than Vernon expected. Harry, I can't thank you enough."

"I told you, it's no big deal," he insisted, although smiling.

Lily rose from the table. "Well, I'm supposed to be baking a chocolate tart for Petunia."

"Can I help?"

She laughed. "Harry, I think it might be best if you stayed away from the kitchen after that cake incident." Harry reddened. "And I thought that you cooked for the Dursleys before I came here?"

"I did! I can cook meat and chicken and that sort of thing. But I never baked. Aunt Petunia always liked to make cakes and cookies for Dudley by herself, so I didn't get much practice."

Lily smiled. "In that case, you can open a tin of olives."

Harry made a revolted look. "Pregnant people are disgusting."

o-o

A letter was waiting for Harry on his bed when he got back to his cupboard after dinner that night. Seeing Ron's handwriting made him grad for it as fast as he could.

_Harry,_

_We got some great news today. The Researchers have found the curse that Ginny was hit with. They reckon they'll be able to find the cure within the next few days. After that, Ginny'll spend a bit of time at St. Mungo's and then she'll come back and stay with us at the Leaky Cauldron, since we obviously can't go back to the Burrow._

At the next part of the letter, Harry could see that Ron's handwriting grew very shaky. It got stronger, though, as he read on to the next paragraph.

_No news on Mum, though. They're not sure when, or even if, she'll wake up, or what state she'll be in after that._

_Thanks for writing to Hermione for me. She owled me earlier, said she's be coming up to London in August. I would ask you to come too, but Dad says you probably won't be able to, because of the security breech. Which reminds me – Dumbledore came to the hospital today to visit, and he told dad that he want to talk to you and him tomorrow, at St. Mungo's. Dumbledore said he could come for you tomorrow at around noon, if it's okay with you. Just send me back your reply with Hedwig and Dad'll forward the message to Dumbledore._

_Ron_

Harry had expected Dumbledore to call on him, even before he had received Hermione's letter that morning. Even so, he was glad that he was finally going to get some information on Saturday's events.

_Ron,_

_I'm so glad that Ginny is going to be alright. As for your mum – well, she's a very strong person, and I'm sure that she'll get through this. _

_Tell Dumbledore that I'll be waiting for him at noon. See you then._

_Harry_

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Likes? Dislikes? Review and let me know!

Some people thought that Harry was out of line when he started picking on Tabitha last chapter, or that the scene moved too fast. Well, understand that the boy had just had a _horrible_ day, and pretty much deserved to yell at whoever he wanted to. I know I would.

No trivia this week, since I'm continuing the Joke Contest, as I said up there. So good luck!

Review replies are not up, but check again later in the week. Sorry, I just can't do it tonight!

Enjoy the first weekend of the year (gulp)!

LaRohaZeta


	24. Protection

Hi everybody…another long week is over…and I'm so tired right now…I would just plop down on my bed and never move again if I didn't have Au Pair tugging at my conscious.

I think the joke contest went pretty well! I have indeed picked a winner: **ShOrTnSwEeT9013**, whose joke about a married couple gave me laugh cramps. Congrats, Binky – I'll be contacting you with more information!

So, I'm done with my ranting for now. Back to Au Pair.

**Disclaimer:** Nothing in this story is mine, except for Peine the owl and perhaps the name Tabitha.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

At 11:45 the following morning, Harry was ready and waiting in his room for Dumbledore to show.

He had already cleared it with Tabitha, not bothering to excuse himself with the Dursleys. It was Monday, a weekday, and they would all probably be too busy to even notice Harry's absence.

The minute and hour hand on Harry's watch had just joined at twelve when a small burst of flame appeared in midair next to his bed, with Dumbledore and Fawks the phoenix following a second later.

"Hello, Harry," Dumbledore spoke, dusting off his robes of ash.

"Good morning sir," Harry replied

When he had finished, Dumbledore cocked his head, and asked, "Wouldn't you like to know how I take my tea, Harry?"

"Er…sorry?"

"Did you receive a pamphlet from the Ministry a few weeks ago?"

And Harry remembered, "Oh, you mean, how do I know it's really you, sir, and not an impersonator?"

The Headmaster's eyes twinkled. "For future reference, I enjoy several spoonfuls of sugar, and just a dash of milk. I doubt there is any way a Death Eater imposter could discover that information, since my tastes change monthly. Now, are you ready to go?"

Harry nodded.

"Excellent. Well, Fawkes is going to take us directly to one of the meeting offices in St. Mungo's. Hold on to his feathers tightly, now. There, that's it."

"Professor?" Harry asked, grasping the bird's tail awkwardly. "Couldn't you just Apparate us there?"

Dumbledore smiled. "No, I cannot, and I shall explain why when we get there."

Harry took the hint, and shut up.

o-o

"So Harry, I believe you wanted to know why I didn't simply Apparate to and from Privet Drive instead of using my phoenix as I did?"

They were sitting in a cozy office in the hospital. The top floor of St. Mungo's was largely comprised of meeting rooms and physical therapy gymnasiums. This was a corner office, with window views of urban London on two of the walls. A large table sat in the center with several chairs tucked underneath. According to Dumbledore, the room had been placed under privacy charms to ensure that no one could listen in on their conversation. Harry was glad of this – he didn't need any more information on his whereabouts getting leaked to Voldemort.

"I did, sir."

Dumbledore nodded and explained. "Before you arrived at Privet Drive last month, I placed a number of protection charms on your Aunt and Uncle's house to keep any – er, _unwanted_ persons out. Many of those spells I have invented myself, but one is an anti-Apparition charm. No one can Apparate in or out of the house or its property unless given permission by the caster."

Harry interrupted. "But Mr. Weasley, and Fred and George – "

"All received my approval," Dumbledore finished. "It may not seem this way, but –"

The office door opened, and Dumbledore was interrupted by Mr. Weasley, who apologized quietly for being late.

"Not at all Arthur, not at all." Dumbledore gestured for him to sit in an unoccupied chair near him.

When the distance between them was shortened, Harry would see more clearly how terrible Mr. Weasley looked. Underneath his lopsided glasses, his eyes were rimmed with red. Worry lines that Harry was sure hadn't been there on Saturday morning creased his forehead, and his robes were disheveled.

"I was just explaining to Harry about the protection spells that were placed on his home." He turned back to Harry. "Two weeks ago, when you woke to find that your bedroom ceiling had apparently disappeared -"

"You know about that?" Harry winced.

"Oh yes," Dumbledore smiled. "The reason for Arthur's delay in helping you was his need to request my withdrawal of the anti-Apparition in order for him to come to you."

Harry nodded. Then he remembered something. "Sir, do you know why the Ministry never contacted me about that day? I mean, I used accidental magic, didn't I?"

Dumbledore was quiet for a few moments. "I cannot say why, Harry. But surely, you don't wish that they had?"

"Of course not!"

"Well then, the matter is settled." Dumbledore said bluntly, and changed the subject. "Since we're already on the subject of protection, I should explain the events of Saturday." He cast a quick glance at Mr. Weasley, who expressed no emotion. "A number of precautions were taken so that you would be able to visit the Weasleys before yesterday."

"But Ron only Owled me that morning."

"Funnily enough, Mr. Weasley seemed to have forgotten to actually invite you, having assumed from all the hubbub that you had already been asked." Harry smirked at his friend's predictability. "Anyway, a team of Ministry of Magic workers spent a good deal of Friday afternoon securing the Burrow property, the field where the family usually has their picnic, and the path that connected the two spots. One of the spells that was placed on the area was the anti-Apparition charm. Just as it is on Privet Drive, no one could Apparate to or from the Burrow unless they had received permission from the caster of the spell. Only a few people were given that power, and even they could only Apparate around the property, not into or out of it."

"So," Harry connected the dots in this head. "Fred and George had to see you _and_ the Ministry of Magic before they came to get me?"

"Correct. Misters Weasley needed to ask the Ministry if they could leave the Burrow and reenter it later, and they needed my permission to enter your aunt and uncle's house and leave from it with you. And even then, they could only Apparate to a designated corner of the Burrow property. Everywhere else was blocked.

"While you were all at the campground, Death Eaters broke into the Burrow, having assumed that you were there, Harry. At around that time, Arthur went back to check on the house. I should mention," Dumbledore added, "that he was one of the only people involved who was able to Apparate around the Burrow. He came back immediately to warn you all of the danger."

"It was my fault." Mr. Weasley croaked, speaking for the first time since his arrival. Harry saw that he had his head buried in his hands. "It's my fault…that M – Molly is…is… I shouldn't have…shouldn't have gone back…I should have ran into the woods and come straight to you, Dumbledore!"

"You mustn't blame yourself for putting the others in danger, Arthur," Dumbledore comforted him. "You panicked; you weren't responsible for your actions. And unless you were the masked wizard who pointed his wand at Molly and used the Cruciatus on her twelve times, then you are in no way responsible for her current state."

"I didn't know," Mr. Weasley continued, now sobbing. "I th – thought that the others would know to stay there…I didn't think that M – Molly would follow with everyone… I was going to Apparate to the safe spot and go directly to the Mi – Ministry…I d – didn't know…"

Long minutes of silence passed. Dumbledore seemed to think that letting Mr. Weasley cry himself out was the best way to help him, but Harry was thoroughly uncomfortable watching a grown man cry.

Finally, when Mr. Weasley had calmed a little, Dumbledore spoke, although rather tentatively. "Arthur…would you mind if I explained the rest to Harry?"

Mr. Weasley rubbed his eyes. "Of course not. Go ahead, I'm sorry for distracting you," he mumbled weakly.

Dumbledore shook his head. "Not to worry, not to worry… Well Harry, I understand how complicated this Apparition protection must seem to you. Just about every member of the Weasley family had some different restriction regarding Apparition from another. Even I myself am a bit iffy on the matter. But there was one person who understood all of this, and had the most authority in the situation. Do you know who I speak of?"

Harry shook his head.

"The Ministry official who set the charm." Dumbledore answered his own question. "Yes, this mysterious wizard, whom nobody I've talked to seems to know much about. I believe there is a Death Eater working in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."

"And nobody knows who he – or she – is?" Harry bit his lip.

Dumbledore shook his head. "No, no one in the Department is sure who cast that specific charm, and the record containing the names of those workers who were at the Burrow on Friday is missing."

"Well, what about Fred and George? Didn't they have to see the person to get permission to leave?"

"No, the twins corresponded with them by owl," Dumbledore said regretfully. "But a team of Order members are researching the case now, and they will be making excellent progress as usual. Now Harry, I wanted to talk to you about the rest of your summer."

"You want me to leave Privet Drive , right?" Harry predicted.

"Actually, I don't see any reason why you should have to leave your Aunt's house until September," Dumbledore told him calmly.

Harry blinked in surprise. "But – professor – I mean, if the Death Eaters were able to break into the Burrow, don't you think there's a chance they could come to Privet Drive as well?"

The Headmaster shook his head. "No, I don't believe so, Harry. I was the one who placed the protection spells on the house, not a Ministry employee, and I am fairly confident that no one – not even Lord Voldemort himself –" (Mr. Weasley shuddered) "would be able to break them. Not to mention that your Aunt's blood protection will keep you safe as long as she is near you. Those are very strong forces to penetrate."

Harry still protested. "But…my Aunt is pregnant, she should be going into labor in the middle of August – she won't always be around –"

"Surely, they wouldn't leave you at home when they go to the hospital?"

"I wouldn't put it past them." Harry said darkly.

"Well, if that is indeed the case, then I will see fit to have you moved for as long as needed, until Petunia is once again healthy and home at Privet Drive." Dumbledore assured him, with a light tone of voice that would still cause him to regret arguing back.

Harry was completely shocked. He had been certain that Dumbledore would have him spend the rest of the summer in a safer place than his Aunt's. It was true that he wouldn't be able to stay with the Weasleys, now that they were semi-permanent residents of the Leaky Cauldron, and there weren't many other places where he was sure of being welcomed. But the one place Harry had been sure of Dumbledore's confidence in had been Hogwarts. Hadn't he heard over and over again that Hogwarts was one of the safest places in the world? Wouldn't Dumbledore be able to watch him personally? Wasn't it true that the school sometimes made special accommodations to house students who had no where else to go? Harry couldn't help but think that logic was on his side on his subject. He didn't belong at Privet Drive, and it said a lot about Harry's trust in Dumbledore's judgment that he let is pass without argument.

o-o

After the meeting was over, Dumbledore and Mr. Weasley took Harry downstairs to the Weasleys so he could see Ron and visit Ginny. Harry didn't ask about Mrs. Weasley, though, afraid that any mention of his wife would make Mr. Weasley break into tears again.

Harry was back at Privet Drive by two o'clock. He had missed lunch, but Tabitha was happy to fix him a tuna sandwich and bring it to his cupboard. They talked for a little while, and Tabitha left again to finish polishing the silverware, yet another one of the many pointless and time-consuming tasks the Dursleys had assigned her.

Harry was alone again. He fell back onto his tiny bed – the one he hadn't touched for five years until that month.

_And the one I'll have to sleep on for another whole month._

Given the circumstances, Harry was surprised that he wasn't more upset with Dumbledore. For one reason or another, the Headmaster had condemned him to an extra month with three of his least favorite people. It was a shock – even Hermione had guessed that Harry would be able to leave Privet Drive. So why didn't Harry feel more hostile towards Dumbledore? Why did he even feel a little…_happy_ about it?

Was it because the Dursleys were finally becoming bearable ? Harry actually laughed aloud at that thought. As if that would ever happen. Was he looking forward to seeing the new baby? Not really. Harry had long ago decided that three Dursleys was enough.

Harry turned to get more comfortable – no easy feat on so small a bed. He could only suppose that now, with the au pair living at Number Four, he would at least be certain that August wasn't going to be a completely horrible month.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Gosh guys, I'm sorry about this, but I'm going to have to put off the review responses until tomorrow or later this week. Please understand – I'm just so exhausted.

_Trivia Question:_ Umm…what's the capital of Uruguay? (True, this has nothing to do with Au Pair, but someone needs to tell me so I can get my Spanish homework done.)

(Yawn)…adios…

LaRohaZeta


	25. What Are You Looking For?

Hi again, Zeta here. So, I know you all must hate me now, because I haven't updated in like, forever, and I am a terrible person and will burn in hell for my sins. Well, that may be true…but, yeah, it's true. It's all true. I suck. I deserved to be spanked. In fact, I'm going to do that right now… as soon as I finish this chapter!

Here is a promise to all of those readers who think that it's moving too slow: this is the last strictly filler chapter of the story! There won't another one until Serendipity, which will have even more action and more characters, so that'll be fun, won't it? 8-D Just stick around for the ride, because if you're all as excited as I am, then I can guarantee that you'll have a blast! (I sound like an infomercial, don't I? Okay, I'll stop now before I even annoy myself.)

**Disclaimer:** All this stuff ain't mine.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Harry spent the rest of Monday afternoon doing homework. He had avoided his assignments as much as he could until then, but Harry knew when to give in. Without Ron or Hermione for three more weeks, he would have to get by on his own.

For some strange reason, getting a chunk of work out of the way seemed to help clear his mind. Harry found himself much calmer than he had been in the past three days and able to think about things that had been bothering him with a more optimistic approach. For instance, his staying at the Dursleys for an extra month – Harry simply decided not to think about it anymore. He would play it by ear. Hopefully, with both Tabitha and the baby around to distract his aunt and uncle, Harry would be able to go unnoticed most of the time.

The baby was a strange topic for him. Really, it always had been. Once Harry had gotten over the initial disgust of his aunt and uncle…ugh, anyway, he had more or less accepted the news when the Dursleys had come to pick him up from the platform in June. Not that he would have had much to say in the matter. By then, Petunia was seven and a half months pregnant and showing. Harry had thought that her extra weight finally honored her married name, since Vernon and Dudley had always looked as if they too were with child.

On pure estimation only, Harry gave the baby six weeks before he or she became as unbearable as its parents. But by then, Harry would be long gone and probably laughing over it with his friends in Hogwarts.

o-o

Petunia was feeling a bit ill that night, so Lily brought her sister's dinner to her room. She had long ago admitted to herself how much she hated catering to the Dursleys. Harry had been right, two days ago, when he criticized her job. It was horrible, and Lily couldn't think of a single situation (except, of course, the one she was in) which would make her take it again. But her love for Harry and her desire to get closer to him strongly outweighed her frustration with Petunia.

And if there had ever been a time when Lily found Petunia more disagreeable, she couldn't remember it (and that was saying something, because Petunia had no idea that Tabitha Royce was actually Lily Potter). The lady of the house had hated the chocolate tart which Lily had made the previous day. As punishment for the tart being "disgusting, and without enough olives", Lily had to polish all the Dursleys' silverware – the set that they wouldn't have to use until next Easter, Lily knew. It was a particularly messy and tiresome job; she barely had enough time to cook between polishing. Finally, at about ten minutes to midnight on Monday night, Lily wrapped up the silver in its heavy mahogany case and tucked it away into one of the living room cabinets. She had every intention of taking a long, hot shower to scrub off all the polish before collapsing in bed.

But when Lily got back to her room, she found a surprise – Peine, sitting on her bed with a letter in her beak.

"Thanks, honey." Lily whispered, taking the letter from the parakeet and ripping it open.

_Tabitha,_

_I wanted to let you know that I met with Harry today at St. Mungo's, in case you were wondering where he went off to earlier in the morning. I told him about the protection spells that were placed on the Burrow on Saturday, and how they differ from the ones on his aunt's house. I'm afraid I had to tell him of my decision to keep him with the Dursleys for the rest of the summer, although surprisingly he wasn't as upset as I expected. I do believe that you may have something to do with his reasoning, however._

_The anti-Sopravivus is coming along spectacularly. It should be ready as soon as my contact in Paris sends the lark sinews I requested for the potion. It would be a good idea for you to start considering what you're going to do once the potion is completed in regards to Harry and his living conditions. I would be more than happy to provide you with advice, but Harry is your son and you will have full guardianship over him again soon, and if I know you as well as I think I do, Tabitha, you will want to take advantage of that._

_I will be in touch,_

_A.D._

Lily's fingers were sweaty and shaking by the time they reached for her wand and set the parchment on fire. She couldn't believe it…after fifteen years of waiting, she was finally going to reveal herself to Harry.

She tried to picture herself telling him the truth. First of all, where would she do it? At the Dursleys' house? In Shrine Park, where they had first bonded? And would they do it alone, or in front of the Dursleys, or with Dumbledore helping her through the awkward explanations? Lily imagined Harry's response. Would he jump into her arms and cry? Would he fend her off with a stake and garlic? Was it even possible that he would break inside?

Lily prayed for anything but the last. She wouldn't be the reason for Harry's shattered heart. If that did happen, she would go to Dumbledore and beg him to erase Harry's memory. Then she would run away and never approach him again.

_Let's not be _too_ optimistic, now,_ said that little wry voice in her head which always sounded like James.

Lily mentally pushed aside her negative thoughts and imagined her life if Harry _did_ accept her. She wasn't too certain about any short-term plans; she'd have to consult Dumbledore about finding them a place to stay. Then there'd be people they'd have to visit, and all the necessary steps they would have to take in order to get their lives back together again…

As cloudy her new life – well, old life, actually – seemed, the amount of attention Lily's reappearance would receive was not difficult to imagine. Reporters from wizarding communities all over the world would flock into England to see her. A woman back from the dead was no ordinary event, even for the magical set. Lily just hoped that it wouldn't last long, and that the people would let her get on with her life, and Harry's, for that matter.

But that wasn't really what she needed to worry about now, was it? The fluffy bird pecking into her arm and the black flatware polish stains on her face and hands seemed much more pressing matters to Lily…

o-o

Petunia didn't even get out of bed the next morning for breakfast, she was feeling so nauseous. Instead, she sent her instructions to Lily via-Vernon, who once again fled from the house at a sinful hour.

"He really is avoiding her like the plague," Harry commented as his uncle's car sped away. Lily giggled.

It was Petunia's wish that she gather what she could from the garden. The first tomatoes would be coming in around now, and Petunia wanted to give her baby an early start on a love of fine food. Lily held back several smart comments.

o-o

"Well, it could be a lot worse," Harry said resolutely, staring down at the garden.

It was a frightening sight, Lily had to admit. She had seen worse, certainly – the aftermath of a battle, the Marauders' old dorm room at Hogwarts – but the Dursleys' garden was messy nonetheless, with its spontaneous weeds and randomness.

"That's the spirit, Harry." Lily half-grinned weakly.

"I thought you just weeded that garden last week?" Harry asked suspiciously, with a trace of amusement in his voice.

She glared at him. "This English weather, completely unpredictable! How was I supposed to know that it would rain the day after I looked after the bloody garden? Excuse my language. But the weeds probably zapped right back up after the shower. So are you going to help me or not?"

Harry laughed, but agreed in the end.

o-o

It was slow, hard work. Tabitha had taken on the role of overseer; much to Harry's mingled amusement and annoyance. Never since Potions class with Hermione had he been bossed around so much. Tabitha told him how to clear up the branches and dirt that had fallen into the tomato plants _("That's not a twig, Harry, that's a root.")_, how to spot weeds and the correct way to pull them out _("You're yanking on the arugula!")_, and which tomatoes were the right ones to pick _("If that tomato is green, do you _really_ think it's ripe enough yet?")_.

But Petunia's vegetables were picked, and the garden restored to its normal pristine state. As Harry lugged the basket full of tomatoes into the house with Tabitha holding the door open for him, he thought to ask her, "What else is growing out there?"

Tabitha looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well… onions grow almost anywhere, so I'd be surprised if there weren't a couple hiding out in there. I think I remember seeing some eggplant – very little ones, though. A few carrots, maybe. And – do you remember those two great bushes towards the shadier end? Well, those were basil and arugula. Yes, that lovely little leaf you tried to destroy." She continued, ignoring Harry's small noises of indignation. "Probably in the winter, there'll be rosemary. That's one of the few plants that come up in the colder months. Petunia'll have nice fish around then…" Tabitha's voice drifted as she ran the tomatoes underwater and grabbed a cutting board and knife from the pantry.

Harry considered all of this. "It's funny how I've never even noticed all that before, and Aunt Petunia's had me water the garden tons of times," he raised his voice slightly over the chopping noises Tabitha was making.

She paused for a minute, tomato juice dripping off the serrated edge of the knife. "I suppose you have to know what to look for." Tabitha looked up at him. "What are you looking for, Harry?" She asked him in a frighteningly Luna Lovegood-ish way.

Blue eyes met green, and Harry was unsure of what to say. But loud footsteps spared him the trouble.

"Ms. Royce! What are you _doing_ to those tomatoes!" Petunia cried. "Did I _say_ I wanted you to slice them?"

Tabitha jumped a clean foot in the air. "I'm so sorry, ma'am! You – you don't want them anymore?" She asked timidly.

"No, I don't want them anymore!" Petunia shrieked, reaching octaves Harry hadn't known the human voice could go.

"I'll go to the store and buy you fresh ones!" Tabitha reasoned with her, panicky. She scrambled around for her worn leather purse.

Petunia was red in the face when she tumbled back upstairs, yelling "hurry!" to the frazzled au pair.

Tabitha reached for a set a car keys sitting on the kitchen table. "Coming?" She inquired to Harry breathlessly.

He was up in a second. "What, you think I'm going to stay here with Petunia?" Harry raced to the door.

Tabitha grinned at him. "Come on – let's make like Vernon and leave!"

They were laughing all the way to the grocery store.

o-o

_What are you looking for, Harry?_

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

I know, it's much too short (so spare me the harsh reviews!), but next chapter will be longer, and much better. And will be posted sooner! (You guys are just raking in the chips, aren't ya? ;-)

Review replies are on the user profile (I know, finally!)

_Trivia:_ Who knows what Rosh Hashanah is exactly? Don't give the answer away, fellow Jews!

Happy apples-and-honey eating!

LaRohaZeta


	26. The Cat And Its Bag

Hi, hi, it's me again. I promised several of you that this chapter would be up last Saturday, but you know me…the "Irregular Update Queen".

Here's an interesting bit of Au Pair news: the official Au Pair iMix has been posted on iTunes! The playlist is really just a bunch of songs that are vaguely related to the story, or ones I listened to while writing. Anyway, if you have iTunes you can find it by searching for "Au Pair" in the iMix category. Let me know what you think!

Glad to see you're all up on your Jewish info! Hehe. Thank you** DoNtLetMeGetMe **for being so dang smart. Have a good year, Abbey!

**Disclaimer:** Only four more of these left to go! Yes! It's not mine.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The week passed rather uneventfully, compared to the beginning of the month. Petunia's sudden bad health didn't improve very much, and she remained cooped up in her room for the rest of July, moaning or sleeping. Vernon, who had until that point been spending as much time as possible out of the house (in order to avoid Petunia, as Lily had suspected), made a complete turn-around, taking time off work to be stay with his wife. Although Lily consciously held no positive feelings for the couple, an instinctual sisterly concern of hers made her feel slightly happy that Petunia was being looked after. Not that she deserved anyone's love, after how she had treated Harry for fifteen years.

Harry himself spent the week doing homework or helping Lily with her household duties, although Lily could judge from his lack of concentration that mowing the lawn wasn't the main thing on her son's mind. Of course, Harry would be worried sick about Mrs. Weasley and the rest. They were his favorite wizarding family, according to Dumbledore, and he had spent several summers with them. From what the Headmaster had passed on to her, Molly Weasley had been sort of a mother figure to Harry during his early teenage years, and her son Ron his brother. If they ever got a chance to meet, Lily would be sure to thank her for looking after Harry.

But life went on in the Dursley residence. Vernon and Petunia were completely ignorant of Harry's problems, so they treated him just as awfully as ever. Lily wasn't sure if they would ease up on him even if they knew about the Weasleys. As for Lily – well, they continued to assign her absurdly difficult tasks that proved no use to anyone whatsoever. On Wednesday the 24th, she had to wax all the woodwork on the first floor. Even Harry, usually her sidekick in every job au-pair related, was hesitant to help her with that particular chore. Instead, he quoted the newsman they had all watched last night, and said that he should be outside enjoying the last of the week's good weather. Lily encouraged him to go – he really shouldn't be doing so much of her work for him, anyway – and watched from the curtained kitchen window as Harry pulled out a lounge chair from the garage, knowing that he was catching up with his Occlumency work.

Harry and the newsman were right, as it turned out. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday turned out to be gloomy, miserable days, both inside and outside the brick walls of Number Four. While the rain pounded down on them out of doors, Petunia threw several tantrums directed at Lily and Vernon, all over unimportant, silly things. Lily was criticized for turning down the bed incorrectly. She spent a half an hour explaining how to tuck in the sheets the right way, practically lost her voice when Lily tried to get her to lay down, and ended the fight by crying over how useless it all was anyway.

The fights with Vernon were usually over his work. Poor Vernon (did she actually just think that?) didn't appear to have fought with Petunia before, and was taken quite by surprise by her abusive hollering. His wife scolded him for not going to work enough, or going to work too often, for taking up all the time in the bathroom, for picking out the wrong tie, or for not keeping Dudley's summer occupied and entertaining.

In an attempt to calm his wife, Vernon signed his son up for a week-long boxing course at the gym where he fought. Dudley was torn over this – he would have much rather spent his summer in front of the telly or computer, but he also seemed a little scared of his mother when she was like this. Not to mention, Dudley would jump at any chance to beat someone up, and the boxing camp would provide opportunities for hurting other kids five times in a whole week.

Petunia's moods, Vernon's sudden changes in behavior, and Dudley's bloodlust made the weekend a difficult one, but Lily and Harry kept one another's spirits up with the use of humor and sympathy. Only by comparing exasperated remarks about the Dursleys and joking about them behind their backs did the mother and son team make it to Monday. With the turnaround of the weather (the temperature was in the eighties and not a cloud could be seen) came the transformation of the Dursley household. Petunia stayed quiet and mournful up in her room with Vernon cooped up with her. Dudley was at boxing camp from 8:00 to 6:00, so they never saw much of him.

Monday, the 28th, and Tuesday, the 29th, passed by more smoothly. After Lily had finished her day's work, she and Harry would walk to Shrine Park and spend a few hours on the swings. They even made a friend there – a scruffy calico with no collar or owner tag. Lily and Harry made trips back and forth from the house to the park, bringing leftover chicken and tuna for the skinny cat to devour while they sat on the park benches nearby and laughed over memories of the past two weeks.

When they came home, at around five, Harry would retreat to his cupboard and Lily would make dinner for the Dursleys. Petunia was receiving all her meals in her bedroom by now, so Lily had to learn the art of carrying soup on a dish up a flight of stairs. If she was lucky, Petunia would accept whatever Lily gave her with only a few weak complaints about serving temperature and flavor, although there was one incident on Sunday night when Petunia was recovering from her last spout of yelling. Lily considered the good points: it had only taken forty-five minutes to scrub the tomato sauce off her uniform, and Petunia had completely missed the rug this time, so she wouldn't have any major cleaning to do in the bedroom.

o-o

The morning of the 30th was a Wednesday, so normally Vernon would already be at work and Dudley at his week-long boxing camp, but the man of the house chose to stay home again, since Petunia was throwing another fit. Since his father was supposed to drive him to the gym, the complaining Dudley was forced to stay at home, too.

Once the screaming had passed upstairs, Harry left his cupboard to help Tabitha with breakfast. However, he instead found a bowl of cereal on the kitchen table and Tabitha bent over a cookbook, mixing bowl in hand.

When she heard his footsteps, she turned and smiled. "Good morning, Harry! Your breakfast is on the table. I'm sorry; I really didn't have time to make anything special, I wanted to get this done by the afternoon."

"What are you baking?" Harry asked, taking a seat and tucking into his cornflakes.

"A cake for a certain soon-to-be sixteen year old who neglected to mention that his birthday is tomorrow," she said teasingly.

Harry dropped his spoon. "How do you know about that?"

Tabitha paused. "Petunia told me." She changed the subject just as one last painful scream sounded from the second floor. "Speaking of, it doesn't seem like the rest of the Dursley family will be joining in on the festivities tomorrow, so it'll just be you and me eating this cake."

Harry reddened. "You really didn't have to…"

"What do you mean, 'I didn't have to'? What boy doesn't deserve a cake on his birthday? By the way, what do the Dursleys usually do for your birthday?" Tabitha asked lightly.

He bought some time by inserting a particularly large spoonful of cereal into his mouth. "Mummph…" Harry swallowed. "Not much."

"Don't talk with you mouth full," Tabitha scolded. "'Not much', eh? Well, this year you can at least be certain that you'll get a rice chocolate cake."

"So can I help?"

Harry tried to time Tabitha's peals of laughter, but he lost track after five minutes.

"You can't be serious!" She choked out later.

"Come on! I promise – I won't touch the flour or any of the other powdered stuff, and I'll leave all the measuring up to you. I can just mix and crack eggs if you really want me to!" He persisted.

"Alright, alright. I suppose you could help. A little." Tabitha rolled her eyes. "Actually, before you came in here, I was looking for a recipe. I don't like many of the ones in this cookbook, though. Would you mind going up into my room and fetching the Guide to Fine Cuisine? I think I left it on my dresser."

Harry hurried upstairs and into the guest bedroom on the far left. He took a moment to look around his old room. Not much was different from when he had lived there; it was still stiff and clean, although the random touches of personality that Tabitha had apparently added, like the candles on the night tables and the cosmetic boxes on the dresser, did help.

Harry spotted the heavy cookbook on the table, and lifted it into his arms. He was just exiting the bedroom when he heard a loud and irregular screeching noise coming from the window outside. He swiveled toward the window and saw an owl flapping frantically and looking desperate. Its wing looked like it was caught on one of the broken bits of metal that used to be bars.

Harry dropped the cookbook and hurried across the room. He opened the window and reached down to the rough edge that the owl's wing had snagged on. The creature squealed in protest when Harry reached for its wounded wing, but dodged its snapping beak and slid the feathers out of the metal. The owl hooted deafeningly, and went limp as if it fainted, but Harry caught it and pulled it inside.

He carried the owl over to Tabitha's bed and set it down on the blanket, trying not to touch the damaged area too much. The bird was definitely unconscious.

_Poor thing_, Harry thought sadly. _Let me see what I can do for it…_

He gently pushed a finger against the wing joint to see if it was broken. It didn't seem like any bones had cracked, and there wasn't any blood, but the wing was twisted a bit too much, and several feathers had been bent. Harry decided to leave the owl where it was , since he was afraid of causing it any more pain. It could recuperate at Number Four and then return to wherever it came from when it was better.

Harry took a minute to observe. The bird was a large, regal-looking barn owl, and not one that Harry recognized from any of his friends, though he supposed it could be from someone in the Order, checking up on him again.

Turning back to shut the window, Harry spotted a letter on the ledge, probably where the owl dropped it. _It must be for me,_ he assumed. _Although, why didn't the owl bring it straight to my room? They usually have such a good sense of direction…_ Harry shrugged and ripped open the envelope.

_Tabitha,_

_The potion is complete! I have one final adjustment to make regarding the consistency, but the entire process will be finished once the Side Effect Reversal cools. I will be contacting you in an hour or so. Be prepared._

_A. Dumbledore_

Harry gawked at the parchment in front of him. Tabitha…? Potion…? Dumbledore…? _Tabitha?_ Tabitha was a _witch_? All this time, and she never told him…?

Footsteps clonked up the stairs, and Harry heard her voice.

"Harry? Are you still in there? I know my room is a disaster, but you must'vefound the book by now!"

Tabitha entered the room, and Harry still hadn't moved. He was rooted to the floor, mouth opened and letter loose in his hand.

She looked worried once she saw his expression. "What's the mat –"

The owl hooted feebly from the bed, and Tabitha's head snapped toward it. Harry watched her eyes dart from the owl to the letter in his hand. Her face lost color rapidly.

"I – I, I… I can explain –"

"You're a witch?" Harry interrupted disbelievingly. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

Tabitha's lip quivered. She looked alarmed. "Well, you see – "

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" Petunia's loudest scream ever broke her explanation.

A white-faced, panting Vernon raced into the bedroom.

"It's coming! The baby's coming!"

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

(A/N) And the cliffies keep on comin'…

Just a tiny note: this chapter wasn't edited properly, so please excuse any errors or rough parts you might find. It was late. I was tired. I have no better excuses.

_Trivia:_ Hehe…your reactions to this will be enough for me!

Review replies are on the profile.

You know you hate me,

LaRohaZeta


	27. Still Tabitha

Wow, guys! Way to stress! Hehe. I've never actually left a cliffhanger with any amount of importance to it, so this has been a real interesting experience for me! I got a lot of "OMG" and "you evil author!" and so on. I guess this is a good thing, right?

Sorry to keep you all in suspense! But get ready for some real twists these last chapters, and a lot of "oh-no-you-DIDN'T!" moments. It'll be good practice for Serendipity, anyway. ;-)

**Disclaimer:** "Har-ry Pot-ter": _(sp. noun)_ the magical world and/or one of the many things not owned by one author, LaRohaZeta, of suburban America also see "authentic cowboy boots", "Brad Pitt", and "parakeet"

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The letter was pushed out of Harry's thoughts for the time being, as everyone's priorities shifted over to Petunia's baby. Vernon, who had gone faint when his wife's water broke, was little help as Tabitha – was that even her real name? – guided her down the stairs and into the family car.

Five people – one of whom was going into labor, and two others who really counted as several people combined – stuffed into the tiny car together did not make the ride to the hospital a pleasant one. Tabitha had to drive, since Vernon was close to passing out as it was, and Petunia had screamed out for shotgun, so Harry found himself squashed between his white-faced and sweating uncle and cousin. Petunia was shrieking and cursing out everyone from the baby to the doctor to her long-gone sister Lily, who of course had nothing to do with anything, and was just really being the most unreasonable and unbearable he had ever seen her. Yet, she _was_ about to have a baby, so that had to count for something, Harry reasoned.

When they arrived at the hospital, Petunia was rushed into a wheelchair and up to the maternity ward. Harry lost sight of her when nurses pushed the shell-shocked family out of the enclosed room and doctors swarmed over his aunt like vultures to a carcass. Through the glass window and sliding screen, Harry saw the outline of his aunt's full belly being covered with a sheet. He turned away, a little more anxious now that everything was actually coming into play.

Turning back to face the Dursleys, Harry watched as Tabitha guided Uncle Vernon into a chair. Dudley, he already saw, had raided his father's wallet and was waddling off in search of the vending machine. Harry sighed and sank into a cold plastic chair. It was going to be a long wait.

o-o

Hospital bathrooms were not the best places to have emotional breakdowns, but Lily supposed there could be worse places. _I could be back at the Dursleys', or at St. Mungo's,_ she thought dryly as the tears subsided.

Lily turned the sink setting on to warm water and splashed a few drizzles onto her face. It was a mind-clearing technique she had learned from Remus back in fifth year.

She reached over to the paper towel dispenser and tore off a generous piece for herself, patting her face dry. A few deep breaths later and she was calmer than she had been in hours.

Lily reached into her pocket and pinched the tip of her wand, stroking its surface absently. Few times in her life had her emotions been so haphazard and jumbled, and even less had they been over something as serious as this.

Petunia, as far as she could tell, was in safe hands. Although Lily liked to think she could care less about her sister, she knew in her heart that she would always be concerned about Petunia's wellbeing. Not that she could say the same for her…

The matter with Harry was a whole different issue. The secret – or part of the secret, anyway – was out now. And (looking down at the letter she had taken from the house while Harry wasn't looking), it seemed that the guise was up anyway. While news of Dumbledore's success had recharged some of the feeling inside her, Lily was also petrified of the conversation that would have to happen. But how do you tell a teenage boy that his dead mother has come back to life?

_Well, why do later what you can do now? _Lily resolved, straightening her black bun in the mirror, taking one last clearing breath, and walking proudly as ever through the bathroom door.

o-o

"Harry, I think we have to talk."

He glanced up from his lap. Tabitha was standing over him, a strange expression settled on her face.

"It's about that letter. I – "

A crying baby interrupted her from the row of seats behind her. A young woman started cooing over it and trying to calm it down.

Tabitha looked annoyed. "Er, can we go somewhere a little more…private?" She pointed to an open, empty storage room down the hall.

Harry glared at her. "I don't think so. Only an idiot would walk into an empty room with a _stranger,"_ he said, putting a sharp emphasis on 'stranger' that made Tabitha wince. "Especially one who they know could hurt them."

"I'm not going to hurt you!" Tabitha whimpered indigently. "Listen – take my wand!" She thrust the stick at him and Harry took it, somewhat surprised. Maybe it wouldn't be _so_ dangerous now, to hear what she had to say…

"Fine." Harry stood, strode over to the deserted room and allowed Tabitha in before snapping the door shut behind them. He pocketed the wand and drew his own, holding it tightly at his side. "First – most importantly – how do I know you're not a Death Eater or something?"

Tabitha's hand went to her brow, massaging it as if the whole ordeal was giving her a headache. Somehow, this made Harry angrier, and he was about to start yelling at her when she – quietly – spoke.

"You read Peine's letter, didn't you? It was from Dumbledore. In Dumbledore's handwriting. No one alive today would be able to get away with forging a letter from Dumbledore. Dumbledore trusts me and knows that I've been staying with you and the Dursleys for the past two weeks. And I hope to Merlin you're smart enough to trust Albus Dumbledore, because he thinks the world of you. He's told me so hundreds of times, ever since we started working together."

Harry sighed, the grip on his wand loosening. Tabitha was making sense, though he didn't want to admit it. Dumbledore didn't trust just anyone. He needed to know more, though. Like, why Tabitha didn't tell him she was a witch when they first met. "Who are you?" He somehow ended up asking instead.

Tabitha took a breath.

"I'm your mother, Harry. My name is Lily Potter, and you are my son."

o-o

"Wha…what?"

Harry thought he was having an attack. He couldn't feel his heart beating for ten whole seconds. Suddenly the dusty gray walls of the closet seemed a lot closer than they had a minute ago. He started to sway on his feet.

"Why don't you sit down?" Tabitha asked, alarmed. "If you give me my wand back, I can conjure a chair for you –"

"NO!" Harry slapped away her outstretched hand. "Don't touch me! Don't come near me! You're delusional; you're a mad person –"

"I'm sorry, I won't touch you! Please, calm down – just take a deep breath –"

Harry let out a chilling laugh. "Ha! Why would I take advice from a crazy person? You're not my mother; my mother's dead, she died a long time ago –"

"No, she didn't, Harry! If you'll just relax for a moment, I'll explain –"

Harry had his wand pointed at on her now. "Stop it already! Stop pretending to be my mum! I don't care if Dumbledore trusts you! _I_ DON'T! Do you really think you can just come into my life and change everything? You can't! You're just some nutty woman who I thought I could trust! But I was wrong, wasn't I? WASN'T I!"

"_Please!_ Just listen to me; I promise you there's a reason for all of this – all of your questions – I can explain _everything!_" Tabitha begged desperately.

Harry was breathing hard. There was another fifteen second pause in which Harry collected himself. His shoulders were shaking, but he kept his wand steady and tight in front of him. "Fine. Talk."

o-o

Lily nodded gratefully. "I suppose I should start from the beginning. You see, your father and I first found out about the prophecy that was made about you – you _do_ know about the prophecy, don't you?" Harry narrowed his eyes, but nodded. "Well, when James and I found out that, we realized we had to go into hiding. The Fidelius Charm was placed, and Peter chosen as our Secret Keeper –" Lily heard Harry growl at the name, despite his anger with her "– but Dumbledore thought you needed even more protection. Without telling James, he used an experimental charm on me. It was something that he had been developing for years, that was supposed to keep a person alive after being cursed by the _Avada Kedavra_. It worked, though it had drastic side effects. My looks, for one." Lily pointed to her sharp face and dark hair. "They're completely altered. No magical or Muggle methods can change them back – believe me, I've tried everything: hair dye, transfiguration, morphing potions. It's as if my body grew a protective covering that stops any altercations from being made to it. Because I looked so different, and because Dumbledore and I were so afraid that the charm would somehow make it into enemy hands, I had to go into hiding. Those fifteen years were some of the worst of my life – I just sat in my house, thinking about you and how I couldn't see you…it was absolutely torture.

"But recently, Dumbledore's been trying to find a way to reverse the side-effects. And today, he finally finished it." Lily gave Harry a tiny smile. His face was expressionless. "It's a potion that should restore me to my normal self. And not just to my old looks – I can go back to my old life, with my son."

Harry was staring into his lap. Lily noted that sometime during her tale, he had sunk to the floor and dropped his wand next to him. She wanted nothing more than to pull him into her arms and hold him, but she knew he was still afraid.

"If this is all true…if you aren't lying to me…then why didn't you come for me before this? Why now…?" Harry questioned her, speaking to his knees and speaking in a tone barely above a whisper.

Lily sighed once again. "Dumbledore didn't want me to come to you at all. He thought I should wait until he discovered a cure and I was back to normal. But I insisted; I had to see you, I had to meet this amazing boy who I'd heard so much about. And when Sirius died…" Lily swallowed. "When Sirius died, he thought it would be a good time for me to make an appearance. You needed a mother in your life. I suppose he also knew that the potion was almost finished, and it would be better if you got to know me a little before we suddenly sprung all this on you." She chuckled slightly. "So much for that, eh?"

Harry was still silent, still gazing into the floor. Lily tried one last time to reach him.

"It's still me, you know, Harry. It's still Tabitha," she consoled him gently. "I'm the same person, just with a few…slight differences."

She thought he was laughing at first, but when Harry looked up at her, she saw he was sobbing. "I know. And that's what gets me the most – that you're still Tabitha to me!" _The same Tabitha who brought food to my room when I was supposed to be starving; the same Tabitha who walked with me in Shrine Park and out-jumped me on the swings. The same Tabitha who held me when I wanted to cry about Sirius. The same Tabitha who was there for me._

"Oh, come here already!" Lily reached out and grabbed her son. He flew into her embrace, kneeling on the floor and still shaking with emotion. A great rush of satisfaction filled her as she wrapped her arms around the boy and buried her hands in his trademark messy hair. "Shhh, it's okay now. I'm here, Harry. We're together again. Shhh." She whispered into his back.

Harry couldn't remember ever feeling so peaceful.

o-o

Five rooms away, a woman screamed. Inside of her, a child squirmed. It wanted to come out now. It was time for things to be done.

o-o

In another hospital not so far away, a red-haired boy paced around his sister's room, thinking about the future. On a floor above him, a re-haired man grasped his wife's cool hand, thinking about the past.

o-o

Inside a tower in a magical school hundreds of miles away, an elderly wizard sat at his desk, stirring the contents of a large stone cauldron, thinking about what needed to be done.

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Whew. You guys don't know how hard that chapter was for me to write. It had to undergo about ten revisions and five drafts, but it was all worth it. I wanted to make sure I didn't screw this one up. And please – constructive criticism is appreciated, especially for this chapter! I really really really want to know what you think!

_Trivia Question:_ So, what did you all dress up as for Halloween? If you ask nicely, I might tell you what I was ;-)

Review replies are on my profile!

LaRohaZeta


	28. Awkward!

Huzzah! I hope you missed me. We've only got a few more chapters to go, so let's make them good, _aight?_

Thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter, especially to those of you who gave me that very helpful constructive criticism. My reviewers really are the best, most polite people – I brag about you guys all the time. I just wish I could repay you by writing these up a little faster, but as the story comes to a close, I get more paranoid about things like, _does this make sense? Is this believable? If I were this character, would I really do something like this?_ etc. So, please excuse me while I attempt to make this perfect for you guys – Moses knows you deserve it!

**Disclaimer:** Twenty-eight down! Two to go!

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They were still crouched on the floor in the hospital broom closet, holding on to each other in a tight hug. Lily only took a second to think of what they were doing; how they were searching for something solid in this time of confusion and ambiguity. At least, that was how she felt. Maybe Harry really was about to lose his balance.

"Harry, are you alright?" Lily asked quietly.

Harry chuckled weakly into her back. Lily could feel her starchy white uniform was damp. "Stupid question, sorry," she apologized.

"No, I'm fine." Harry let go of the embrace and looked at her, wiping his eyes. "I'm just…sort of confused, I guess. And – I was wondering something..."

"Go ahead," Lily prompted.

"Well, I know you said you couldn't come for me at the Dursleys because Dumbledore made you promise not to…" Harry looked reluctant. "But still, I don't really understand why. I mean, it wouldn't have been that hard, would it? If you really wanted to, I'm sure you could have convinced him…And it was me, your son!" Harry's voice was building confidence. "You _knew_ the Dursleys – you knew what horrible people they are, how they would treat me! And you still let me live there, when you were alive and cozy in London! How could you do that? I don't understand –"

"Harry!" Lily whispered, shocked at his sudden mood change. "I'm so sorry! I don't think you'll ever know how sorry I am! I can't defend what I did; all I can say is that I _so_ wanted to be the one to raise you, like I should have."

"So why didn't you?" Harry spat angrily.

"I – I was scared! When Dumbledore left you with the Dursleys, he told me it would only be a short time thing, until I was well enough to take care of you myself. You don't know…I was completely devastated after James died – I wasn't aware of anything that was going on, not Voldemort's fall, nothing! I was so young then…only twenty-one, and not at all prepared to raise a child by myself! I know that's not what you want to hear, but it's true – I was terrified. And when I finally grew up a little, and you were still at the Dursleys, I was still afraid to take you. What if little three-year-old Harry didn't recognize me, what if – what if he didn't like me? I couldn't face you, no matter how much I wanted to be your mother." Lily laughed bitterly. "It's pathetic, and I'm ashamed of myself, but it's the truth."

Harry didn't say anything, but sat with his head in his hands.

"Look – Dumbledore wanted me to see him," Lily said in the uncomfortable silence. "Why don't you come with me? I'm sure he'd be able to clear a few things up for you."

Harry nodded. "But…Petunia…"

Lily bit her lip. "We won't be long. Though, it wouldn't be such a shame if we missed it. Childbirth isn't exactly fun to watch."

Harry gave a very tiny chuckle, and followed her out the door.

o-o

"Albus!" Lily stumbled into the Headmaster's office, covered in soot.

"Lily," Dumbledore rose from his chair to greet her. "I was getting worried. I was just about to send Fawkes off to find you." He gestured for her to sit in on of the chairs next to his desk, but she remained standing.

"I'm sorry, Albus. My sister went into labor, and we had to take her to the hospital," she explained.

"Is she alright?"

"Yes, she'll be fine," Lily assured, brushing dust from her skirt.

"How did you get here?" Dumbledore asked, looking at the state of Lily's clothes. "Was there –"

But he stopped, seeing Harry's head peek into the doorway. Lily looked back. "Oh. Albus, I should explain…" Her voice faded.

"Hello, Professor," Harry spoke carefully.

"Good afternoon, Harry." Dumbledore looked back at Lily and raised his eyebrows for an explanation. "Harry, would you please excuse us for a moment?"

"Yes, sir." Harry walked outside, the heavy stone door shutting behind him.

"Lily, how much does he know?" Dumbledore asked urgently.

She winced. "Everything. There was nothing I could do – he found your letter and realized that I'm a witch, so I thought that I would just tell him who I really am."

Dumbledore heaved a sigh. "You know, you could have just claimed to be an Order member assigned to watch him," the Headmaster pointed out.

Lily nodded. "I thought of that. But I also thought it might be better if he was told before I took the potion. That way, he'd be able to see the transformation for himself."

Dumbledore bit his lip, but nodded. "I suppose you're right. It must have been hard for you to keep the truth from him for this long, anyway. How did he take the news?"

"I'm not sure, actually…" Lily collapsed tiredly into a chair. "He was very accepting at first, but then he kind of snapped and started screaming at me. I don't know, Albus," she sighed. "His reaction was exactly what I was afraid of. I think he misses Sirius so much that he's become almost _desperate_ for love."

"I see. You'll just have to be very straightforward with him. It might take a while for Harry to completely trust you."

"But what if he snaps again?"

"Every parent eventually has to deal with hormones," Dumbledore smiled slightly. "You're new at raising a son, but if I know you as well as I think I do, Lily, you'll catch on quickly."

Lily felt the corners of her mouth raise into a smile. "But there's so much to do… so much to plan…what happens next?"

Dumbledore ran his fingers through his long white beard. "Do you want to continue living with the Dursleys?"

"Definitely not," Lily said firmly.

"Well, you do want to live with Harry, don't you?" He checked.

"Of course!"

"So you and Harry will leave the Dursleys' together," Dumbledore concluded.

Lily nodded. "Yes, but where will we go?"

"Did you sell that house you were living in before you moved in with Petunia? The one outside of London?"

She rolled her eyes, annoyed. "Why didn't I think of that?"

Dumbledore chuckled. "You're in a state of shock. Frankly, I was surprised you even managed to get here safely. How did you come, by the way?"

Lily blushed and cleared some of the dirt off of her uniform. "Floo. I Apparated us to the Three Broomsticks and then used their fireplace to get to the kitchens."

The Headmaster nodded. "Very well. Shall we do what you came here for, then?"

"Yes! Hang on just a minute – Harry! You can come back in now!" Lily called him.

Harry was looking a bit apprehensive when he walked through Dumbledore's door again. "So…"

"So." Lily agreed.

"You – fixed your things, sir." Harry stated, pointing at a spindly silver object on one of the shelves. It took Lily a second to realize that he was very subtly referring to his near destruction of Dumbledore's office the previous month.

"Yes, Harry," the wizard said simply. "Well, this must be quite a shock to you. It isn't every day that the dead come back to life."

"Yeah, I guess," Harry still looked nervous.

"Is there anything you'd like to discuss before Lily takes the potion?" Dumbledore asked softly.

Harry took a seat in a chair beside the wall. "I…still don't really understand this, Professor. I mean, I asked…er…" He glanced at Lily.

"Lily," she offered. "Er, unless you want to keep calling me Tabitha. Or, perhaps not, since you know now that's really not my name. Though it could be a hard habit to break…not 'mum', though, right? That's strange, isn't it? Calling this perfect stranger your mother? Well, er, maybe it's not strange for you – not that I think I know how you feel, or anything! – I – I just – "

"Okay." Harry stared at her, ceasing her rambling. "_Lily_. I asked Lily about what happened, with the spell you invented and everything, but I really don't…" he shook his head.

Dumbledore nodded. "I understand how you would be confused. You see, the spell I created, which I call the Sopravivus Charm, saved your mother from death by Voldemort's Killing Curse. It did, however, leave side effects on her body. The most obvious, of course, if her change in appearance."

"Were there any other effects?" Harry asked.

"I wasn't able to find any others, though there could be some minor, undetectable altercations."

Harry shook his head. "How is this even possible, though? I thought the _Avada Kedavra_ was impossible to block."

The Headmaster sighed. "It took many, many years to create the Sopravivus. Do you remember my old friend Nicholas Flamel?" Harry nodded. "Well, he had been experimenting – using the Sorcerer's Stone to create a actual shield that would protect any victim of the _Avada Kedavra._ Nicholas was almost successful, but his death and the destruction of the Stone prevented him from making any conclusions. I used his original plans to create a charm that would have similar protective affects."

"How did you do that without the Stone?"

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "I didn't. I had to create a replica of the Stone to use as the powerhouse of the charm. I, of course, destroyed the replica once the charm was completed."

Harry nodded. "Okay, so, you created this charm. So why, of all people, did you want to test it on my – Lily?"

"I didn't, Harry. I wanted to test it on _you_." Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling almost insanely now. "If you were the one that Voldemort wanted to kill over all others, wouldn't you be the best candidate for the Sopravivus? But I was afraid of how the charm would affect you at such a young age, so I decided to put it on Lily instead. Because she was near you when the Killing Curse hit her, you were protected as well. _That_ is how you survived death, my boy, not because of some mystical power of a mother's sacrifice." He concluded knowingly.

"Why did you put the charm on her? Why not my dad?" Harry looked at Lily quickly. "Not that I would rather –"

She waved for him to stop. "I asked the same thing. Albus didn't want to risk the spell on both of us." Lily couldn't entirely keep the bitterness out of her voice.

"I also thought the protection might have been more affective if your mother had it." Dumbledore hung his head shamefully. "I will always regret the life I could have saved. James was a good man."

Lily sniffed. "Okay. Do have any other questions, Harry?"

"Well…" He looked embarrassed again. "I understand why you left me with the Dursleys. You were afraid of how I would react, and you didn't think you could handle rejection."

"We also thought you would be safer with your aunt and uncle, Harry," Dumbledore added. "Everything seemed in your favor there – there were no wizards anywhere close to Little Whinging, and you were impossible to track, so you would be safe from harm."

"I had no idea of how they treated you, Harry." Lily spoke softly. "It didn't occur to me that Petunia would neglect you because she had hated me. And we never heard anything from Arabella Figg about how you were being treated."

"She couldn't have known," Harry told her. "The Dursleys liked to keep that sort of thing within the family."

"That sounds like Petunia," Lily growled.

"Right. There's something else, though," Harry realized. "You were actually alive when Sirius was arrested."

Lily squirmed guiltily in her seat. "That's right. I was alive."

"So…" Harry massaged his temple. "So, why didn't you stick up for him? He might have never gone to Azkaban!"

"Believe me, Harry, I wanted to!" Lily pleaded. "Sirius was one of my best friends, ever since I got to know him through James. I didn't want to see him in that awful place!"

"It would have been quite a weak case," Dumbledore explained calmly amongst the room's anxiety. "Lily didn't look anything like her old self after the Sopravivus was placed on her, and everyone believed her to be dead, anyway. I would have been greatly surprised if someone had believed her."

"But couldn't you have done _something?" _Harry protested at Dumbledore. "You knew he was innocent – couldn't you have gotten him moved to a normal prison, at least?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "The Council never would have stood for it. Those were terrible times, Harry – wizards were desperate for every last criminal to be locked away in Azkaban. They weren't taking any chances after Voldemort's fall."

Harry let out his breath in one long, heavy gust. "I suppose you're right," he said after a minute. "I just wish this could have worked out…better."

"I do, too, Harry," Lily agreed quietly. "I do, too."

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So, good? Terrible? I hope this chapter filled all those little gaps you guys kept pointing out to me.

I SOLEMNLY SWEAR that I will try to update sooner next time! We're almost done!

_Trivia Question:_ How old was Nicholas Flamel when he passed? Easy one, people!

Review replies are on my profile!

Enjoy the snow, those of you in the north!

LaRohaZeta

P.S. I was a Harajuku girl for Halloween, to answer my own trivia. It was pretty sweet.


	29. The Transformation

Woo. Thanks for all the great feedback from last chapter! There's something I feel I should really point out…so I will. Thank you so much, **Batou**, for showing me the mistake I made last chapter. You see, the Nicholas Flamel thing I used didn't work with canon. Since Dumbledore told Harry that he had used Flamel's old research to create another Sorcerer's Stone and the Sopravivus Charm, Flamel would have had to die before 1981, when D-Dore cast the spell on Lily. In the books, he died in 1992, so this is obviously a big mistake. Here it is: I am stupid. I reeeeaaally should check my work before I put stuff up on the site. Nicholas Flamel thing isn't important to the rest of the story, though – I promise.

**Disclaimer:** Two more! Two more! Two more! (I'm not really disclaiming much nowadays, am I?)

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There was deep silence for a moment, and then Dumbledore broke it.

"You may as well take the potion now, Lily."

Lily looked up abruptly. "What? Oh…yes. The potion. Right." She stood from her seat and glanced over at Harry. "Do you think this is something Harry shouldn't see, Albus?"

Dumbledore chuckled slightly. "No, I believe Harry has seen much worse in his years."

Harry felt a little awkward. Dumbledore, however, went to a shelf behind his desk and retrieved a great stone cauldron that he set down on the table before them. The cauldron appeared to be full of liquid silver. Dumbledore conjured a glass, scooped a cup of potion into it, and handed it to Lily. As she held the glass in her hand, Harry saw a look her eye that he once saw on another of his guardians – Sirius, after Harry had first met him, when he had believed for a glorious hour that Wormtail's capture would mean his freedom. It was a hungry, savoring look, free of ambition and full of a child's blind happiness. However, Lily gave a long look at Harry instead of gulping the potion right away.

"Er, maybe we should wait with the potion," Lily said reluctantly, lowering the glass back onto the table with obvious torment. "I think we've all been through enough stress today as it is…"

Harry's shock mixed with gratefulness and surprise for Lily's consideration of his feelings. It was the first motherly gesture she had shown since revealing her true identity to him, and it was a welcome one. But Harry wouldn't allow Lily to put herself through this – she had waited to long for this moment; suffered too many years in lonely exile. He had taken away Sirius' moment by refusing to let him kill Wormtail – he wasn't going to make the same mistake twice.

"No, please," Harry spoke suddenly, surprised with the tremor in his voice. "Take the potion. I know how much it means to you," he said more firmly.

"Oh, Harry, are you sure?" Lily gazed at him, wide-eyed.

He nodded. "Do it."

Lily had tears in her eyes. Smiling, she lifted the potion once more, and downed it in one gulp.

Harry stared, watching closely for changes in Lily's appearance. Nothing happened for long moments. He looked at Dumbledore, who was also watching Lily closely. Looking back, Harry saw she had her eyes closed, and her mouth was twisted into an unpleasant sort of grimace. Then – a strange white glow surrounded Lily, and her body began to morph.

Harry thought it was a bit like watching someone transform under the influence of Polyjuice potion. Lily shrank several inches, her skin became paler, and freckles appeared on her arms and face. Lily's hands became smaller and her fingers longer. Those squared shoulders sloped into curves and her neck shortened. The severe hair softened and loosened, falling out of its stiff bun. Gentle waves appeared, and before Harry's eyes, black morphed to auburn. Lily's face became rounder, her nose shorter, her lips thinner. Harry saw clearly the green eyes which everyone told him were his sparkle with the sensation of the potion. The most peculiar thing happened – they turned completely gold, and a rushing sound like wind filled the room. Then, as suddenly as it came, the golden eyes disappeared and the white aura around Lily faded, signaling the end of her transformation.

Lily stood quite still for her first few moments as a new woman. She took a few deep breaths, and looked around the room, taking everything in. She flexed her fingers and patted herself a little, as if to make sure that everything was still there. Then, suddenly – Harry backed off a little at the sudden movement – Lily whipped out the wand that was tucked into her uniform and slashed it through the air in a powerful gesture. The entire wall Lily was facing collapsed in a crumbling heap of debris, and dust gathered in the air, choking them all momentarily. When Harry was able to see Lily and Dumbledore again, he was surprised to find triumphant, exultant expressions on their faces.

Lily was staring at her wand hand, jaw open. "Wow," she breathed. "My magic…"

"…Is fully restored," Dumbledore finished for her, smiling.

"What, you didn't have it before?" Harry asked, still coughing.

She looked at him. "Not nearly as much as I used to. I was able to do some magic while I was living alone these past years, but I was much weaker. It was so frustrating."

Harry nodded. He could imagine that.

"But it was important that I let some magic out now and then, so that I didn't build up a reserve and – well, explode." Lily looked at Dumbledore's office for the first time and blushed guiltily. "Sorry about that, Albus…"

"Not to worry, not to worry…Perhaps I'd better reverse the damage myself. _Maximus reparo,"_ Dumbledore waved his wand, and the wall was restored.

"So that gold thing in her eyes…?"

"That was, indeed, the magic returning to Lily's body," Dumbledore answered Harry and nodded.

"Oh, I feel so much better!" Lily squealed, taking a little leap in the air. Harry could see the effect the restored magic had on her. Her posture was more defined, and she looked healthier and stronger. Harry thought she was very pretty, in an older sort of way.

Dumbledore smiled. "Would you like to see a mirror, Lily?"

She nodded a little hesitantly, and stepped in front of the full-length mirror that Dumbledore Conjured for her. "Oh…" Harry watched as Lily examined herself, tugged on her hair, pulled apart her gums, and ran a finger over her cheek. "I look old." She said dejectedly, observing the small creases on her forehead.

"All people age," Dumbledore laughed slightly. "Of course, you haven't seen yourself for fifteen years, so of course you look different at thirty-six than you did at twenty-one."

Lily nodded, then laughed and stepped away from the mirror as if she had been doing something improper. "Look at me, gawking at my own reflection! You must think I'm completely vain, Harry."

He smiled a little. "Believe me, that's the last thing I'm thinking."

The grin on Lily's face slipped away. "We do have a lot to think about, don't we? Albus, do you think Harry and I could go somewhere and talk for a while?"

Dumbledore smiled graciously. "Of course. Follow me, if you will."

He led them out of his office and down a few flights of stairs, miraculously avoiding any teachers who may have been staying at Hogwarts over the summer. Harry imagined what kind of explanations Dumbledore would have to give if someone were to spot Lily.

They rounded a corner and approached a brightly lit corridor covered with paintings of various foods. Harry realized that they were being taken to the Hogwarts kitchens. Indeed, they soon approached a large painting of a bowl of fruit. Dumbledore reached out his arm to tickle the pear and the canvas swung open, revealing a hole for them to climb through.

It was quiet. Harry guessed that the house-elves didn't have much to do in the summer with no students to cook for. However, there were a couple of the diminutive, raggedy creatures scurrying about the kitchen, placing pies into ovens and stirring large pots of stew over the stove. One spotted the Headmaster and his guests and hurried over.

"Can Misty get anything for Headmaster Dumbledore and friends, sir?" The elf squeaked.

Dumbledore gestured for Lily and Harry to answer.

"Some tea would be lovely, thank you, Misty," Lily said gently. "And maybe a place to sit…?"

"Misty thinks this way, ma'am!" The tiny house-elf guided them over to a table. "Tea is coming, ma'am and young sir!" She skipped away, happy with the prospect of a job.

Harry and Lily sat, but Dumbledore bowed to them.

"I'll leave you here," he informed them. "You'll have plenty of privacy; the house-elves only come when they're called. Come back to my office whenever you feel like. I have some letters to write regarding your death certificate, Lily, which obviously must be erased. The _Daily Prophet_ should probably be informed of your return, too…" Dumbledore said thoughtfully.

Lily cringed. "Do you think we could keep this quiet for a while, Albus? Harry only just found out about me…"

He nodded. "Of course, I apologize. I don't want to push the two of you into any uncomfortable situations." He bowed again. "Take your time. Oh, and do try the raspberry tarts. They're delicious when they're in season."

With that, Dumbledore left them, and Misty returned balancing a teapot and a tray of assorted pastries.

Harry took a tart from the tray and chewed on it. "They really are good," he agreed once he'd swallowed.

Lily chuckled. "That's Dumbledore and his sweet tooth, for you."

There was a silence as they both sipped their tea and nibbled on the food laid out for them. Harry hadn't realized how hungry he was, but he supposed he'd had more important things to think about in the past few hours than his appetite.

Lily, Harry noticed, had stopped eating and was looking around the kitchens. "I haven't been down here in a long time," she reminisced, gazing wistfully at the passing house-elves.

"Really." Harry felt a story coming on.

"Yeah…your father and I had our first date here, you know." Lily mused.

Harry dropped his bit of crumpet. "What?"

Lily nodded. "It was sixth year, after our Transfiguration exam. I was so nervous about that test; I stayed up all night studying for it and missed breakfast the next morning so that I could cram. I was hungry through the whole exam, so I sped right through it, thinking I could grab some food from Gryffindor Tower once I was finished. James, of course, was the first one done out of our entire year – he was an ace at Transfiguration. He could tell I was starving, somehow, and asked Professor McGonagall to 'please let him take me to the hospital wing, ma'am, because he swore I was coming down with Dragon Pox, I was so pale.' Instead, he took me here, and we had an early lunch without all that fuss in the Great Hall."

Harry smiled at her imitation of his father. "Sirius told me you and dad got together in seventh year."

Lily gave a bubbly laugh. "That's what he knew. James and I wrote to each other throughout that entire summer."

He grinned. "I've been down here with my friends a couple times. Ron and Hermione, you'll meet them. Anyway, Hermione is really big on house-elf rights – she tried coming down here and persuading them to demand salaries and paid vacations and stuff, but they kicked us out."

Lily chuckled into her tea.

"I know. And my best mate Ron thinks Hermione's completely insane sometimes, even though she's a genius. They argue all the time."

"It was Ron's house you went to last week, wasn't it?" Lily checked.

"Yes…" The smile on Harry's face faded. "I suppose Dumbledore told you about the attack that day."

"He did." Lily placed her hand over Harry's on the table. "Harry, I was so worried. I wasn't allowed to help in the battle, and when I finally did see you later that day, I couldn't even ask how you were feeling."

"Well, I wasn't feeling that great. Ron's sister Ginny and Mrs. Weasley both ended up in St. Mungo's…I got an owl recently from him, though, and he says Ginny should be alright."

"That's good." Lily took another bite into a tart. "Harry, there's something I should confess to you, too –"

But Harry interrupted her; the mention of St. Mungo's brought up other memories from that eventful Saturday.

"Wait! _You're_ Rose Burns!" He realized excitedly. "You can to visit me in the hospital, didn't you? You were the one who made the big fuss at the front desk!"

Lily smiled and blushed slightly. "Guilty as charged."

Harry looked smug. "And Ron kept telling me not to obsess over it…" He remembered something else. "How about my bedroom ceiling? Was that you, too?"

Lily cringed. "That was me. Look, don't think I'm weird for this, but I hadn't actually seen your face for fifteen years, and I wanted a good look at you. You look so much like James, Harry."

Harry heard comments like this often, but it was different hearing the words from his mother. _His mother._ It was strange to even think the words. Would things ever go back to normal again?

As if they ever _were_ normal…

Lily noticed the pensive expression on Harry's face. "Are you alright, Harry?" She asked, concerned.

Harry plastered on a smile. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine…"

"You know, you don't have to pretend around me," Lily said softly. "I know how strange this must be for you. If you want some time alone, or if you want to talk to Dumbledore by yourself, I'm fine with it."

Harry shook his head. "No, that's okay. I think I'm just…I'm still in shock, I suppose. I just hope that doesn't mean I'll wake up tomorrow morning and start screaming bloody murder once I remember what happened today."

The comment brought Lily back to reality. "Speaking of where you'll be waking up tomorrow morning, Harry, we should probably talk about our new living arrangements –"

"Living arrangements?" Harry asked, confused.

"Well, of course, unless you want to stay with the Dursleys." Lily's green eyes widened all of a sudden, and her tone changed from joking to horrified. "I mean, that's okay, if you want to stay with them – you've obviously known them longer than you've known me – I mean, we just met – and, and well–"

"No! I definitely don't want to stay with the Dursleys," Harry assured her. He remembered having a similar conversation with Sirius outside the Shrieking Shack three years previous and wondered how many more invitations this these he would receive in his lifetime. "No, what I meant was, where would we go? Unless we stayed at Hogwarts or something…"

"Well, I still have the house I lived in for the past few years," Lily offered, relieved at her son's assurance that he really did want to live with her. "We could stay there for a while. And we'll most likely be traveling a lot in the next month or so. I'd really like to pay Remus a visit, and I'm sure you'll want to spend some time with the Weasley family."

Harry nodded. "That sounds like a good idea." He suddenly realized, "Oh wow – you'll have to confront Aunt Petunia some time, won't you? Do you have any idea what you'll say to her?"

Some color drained from Lily's face, and she took on an angry, hardened look. "Oh, I'm sure Petty and I will find a few things to talk about…"

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So, comments, questions? As you can see, Harry's finally easing into the idea of having a mother in his life. Lots of parallels to Sirius, which we all hope isn't foreshadow… Hehe. I'm an evil little thing, aren't I?

_Trivia_: Not really 'trivia', but…What is _your_ favorite dessert:_cue grumbling stomach_: My tastes change all the time (damn hormones), but I'm currently a banana flambé lover. And, of course, anything with chocolate is just _diviiine_, darling!

Lastly, review replies will be posted some time later in the week…It's my bedtime, you know. Also, the final chapter of _To Die Laughing_ will be written some time soon, to the relief of many of you. I'm really sorry about the delays, guys. Do you still love me?

Yo quiero reviews!

(I love/want reviews!)

LaRohaZeta


	30. Motherhood

1So, we've reached the end of this long journey (Au Pair is over a year old!), and I find myself filled with nothing but excitement and pride. Pride, of course, for my wonderful, amazing readers, without whom Au Pair would have died a long time ago. Seriously, guys – I hope you realize how much your faithful reading has meant to me, especially since I have not been the most regular updater. What started out as a way to save myself from the boredom of a family vacation has turned into my most affective outlet for creativity, and it is all thanks to you guys! I am grateful for all the support, kind words, and at times, helpful suggestions that kept me inspired. Sometimes, a single review has motivated me to get writing, even if I had been in the deepest of writer's funks. So, _thankyouthankyouthankyou!_ to all the reviewers, who I consider to be my friends.

**Disclaimer:** _Deep breaths…_ That's right, I'm savoring the moment. My witty disclaimers ran out a long time ago, so I don't think you all were expecting one, anyway.

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Back in Dumbledore's office, Lily and Harry discussed their plans with the Headmaster. He agreed with the mother and son that Lily would have to confront Petunia eventually, but persuaded her to wait.

"She could be going into labor as we speak, and I doubt her attention should be drawn away from the baby so early in its life," Dumbledore pointed out. Lily had to agree with him, no matter how much she told her herself she didn't care about her new niece or nephew. "Actually, were Petunia and Vernon informed of the sex beforehand, Lily?"

"No," she replied. "They said they wanted to be surprised."

So Dumbledore decided that the Dursleys were not to see Lily that day. Instead, she would return to Privet Drive and start packing her things. Harry was to go back to the hospital and inform the Dursleys of his departure. Then Lily would meet him back at the hospital and the two would leave for her London home.

"What should I tell them about the au pair?" Harry asked.

"Tabitha Royce received an urgent phone call from a sick relative in Germany and left at once, only stopping to return her set of keys to Number Four and to pick up a few bare necessities from her room," Dumbledore answered after a moment's thought.

Lily nodded fervently. "Sounds believable."

At last, they left the castle, with Dumbledore's promises of checking in on them once they'd settled into Lily's house being some comfort. They returned the way they'd come – using Floo to get to Hogsmeade village and Apparating back to the broom closet in the hospital. Once they were there, Lily checked the door to see that no one had seen their arrival.

"Listen, Harry," Lily said, once she assured herself that no Muggles had seen her appear out of thin air. "Try to avoid seeing Petunia if you can. I don't know what sort of state she's in right now, and I don't want her harassing you. So just find Vernon or Dudley, tell one of them that you're leaving, and get out quickly."

"Fine."

"I'll meet you back here in half an hour, okay? Then we can Apparate back to Privet Drive and pack," Lily verified.

"Right," Harry answered, reaching for the door.

o-o

He found Petunia's room easily enough, having been there only a few hours ago, but was surprised at the silence of the area. Surely, women in labor made more noise than that?

Harry looked around. He couldn't see his uncle or cousin anywhere. Going against Lily's request, Harry reluctantly pushed open Petunia's door.

He found a surprising scene in front of him. Petunia, looking exhausted and pale, was lying on her hospital bed holding a small bundle in her arms. Vernon stood behind her, gazing at the bundle as if it were a special new type of drill. Dudley, on the other hand, looked bored sitting in his chair, poking at his handheld computer game. A frizzy-haired nurse was scribbling statistics on a whiteboard beside the bed, cursing as she tried to get ink out of the dried up marker.

"What, you've had the baby already?" Harry asked numbly, forgetting his intended plans.

Vernon snorted. "Well, obviously, boy!" He sounded less angry than usual, however.

"Well…which is it? A girl, or a boy?"

"A girl," Petunia answered him shortly, but her voice emitted a warmth Harry had never heard her speak with.

And before he could ask his third question, the nurse's screeching marker brought his attention to the white board, which now had several more words written on it:

_Violet Cecilia Dursley_

_#9056-2282_

_Born: 7/30_

_6:38 PM_

_7 lbs, 9 oz_

_Attd: Nurse Sedgwick_

The baby gave a loud wail, and Harry turned back to his aunt. She shifted the baby in her arms, calming it down. Harry was now able to see its face, pink and scrunched like freshly scrubbed skin. Violet's eyes were still closed, but tiny stubs of arms were flailing about, trying to touch and identify everything around her.

"Look, Vernon!" Petunia cried gleefully.

"I see, dear, I do," Vernon replied hoarsely, his bristly face radiant.

"You'll want to be careful with her, Mrs. Dursley," the nurse warned, reaching out a hand to demonstrate. "Make sure there's support under her head –"

"Of course I'm careful! Don't you think I know how to take care of my own daughter?" Petunia snapped at her, eyes narrowed protectively. Violet continued to cry. Harry thought the nurse looked like she wanted to cry as well, but turned back to her clipboard instead.

Harry stood, temporarily transfixed. What would become of this child? Did it all start here, in this very room – the first and not the last time she would be spoiled by the Dursleys, fussed over in Petunia's arms? Was this how life began for her brother, who was still sitting in the corner, throwing contemptuous, jealous looks at the baby? Was Harry lucky to have escaped this, or would Lily have done a better job raising him than Petunia had done for Dudley? He had to find out; he had to leave once and for all.

Harry cleared his throat, trying to get their attention. "Er, listen…" he announced, once they were all looking at him. "I'm leaving. I've got an invitation to go to my friend Ron's house for the rest of the summer, so I'm going tonight," he lied.

Petunia looked like she hadn't even heard him. She was busy cooing over the baby. But Vernon had heard Harry, and he had a growing smile on his face.

"You're not coming back next summer, are you?" He checked.

"Probably not," Harry answered truthfully.

"Excellent, then we can turn that extra bedroom into a nursery for the baby, love," Vernon patted Petunia's shoulder.

The nurse, who had been watching this conversation instead of filling out the notes on her clipboard, was aghast. "Look, now! That's a horrible thing to say to your son!"

The Dursleys turned to stare at her. Harry tried to correct her mistake before she embarrassed herself, but the poor woman was in a frenzy. "And I don't mean to interfere in family matters, but you can't say things like that in public! I just recently lost my son – in that horrible bridge collapse, you know, last month – and looking back on it, there were a lot of fights I wish I'd never had with him…things I regret saying…" Tears were falling down the nurse's face. She wiped them roughly with the back of her hand and sniffed. "Anyway, the point is, you don't neglect your children like that – you'll live to regret it. Believe me, I know better than anyone."

And she hurried out of the room, leaving Harry with the stunned Dursleys and their crying baby.

o-o

"She said _what?"_ Lily asked, dazed.

"I told you, _'Never neglect your children, you'll regret it.'_ Honestly, you should have see the look on Aunt Petunia's face; she was completely stunned," Harry remembered, smiling.

He met Lily back in the broom closet and had just filled her in on the last half hour. To say the least, she was overwhelmed.

"Wow," Lily said breathily. After a moment, she decided, "Well, it's about time somebody told the Dursleys off. I only wish it could have been me."

Harry snorted. "Something tells me you'll get your wish."

She smiled mischievously. "Like I said before, Petunia and I will be having a little chat soon enough." Her expression changed. "But she had the baby already, you said?"

Harry nodded. "Violet…something. A girl, obviously."

Lily looked thoughtful. "So she decided to stick with the flower names, then. It's been a tradition in the Evans family for ages," she added at Harry's questioning look.

"That's sort of a strange tradition, isn't it?"

She sniggered. "For a long time, the Potters had a tradition of taking newborns up on broomsticks at four weeks old."

Harry was stunned. "Seriously? Dad took me flying a month after I was born?"

"Very much against my will," Lily rolled her eyes. "He insisted you get a feel for it early on. Of course, I made him use every protective charm I could think of, and you were strapped on to his waist the whole time, but we still argued about it for days afterward."

"Did I like it?" Harry asked, not taking her seriously due to the smile on her face.

"Please, we could hardly get you down!" Lily recalled partly with exasperation. "In fact, the only time I remember you crying during the whole episode was when James tried to unstrap you after you'd landed."

Harry grinned. Lily checked her watch.

"Oh, we'd better get packing. We have to be gone by the time Vernon and Dudley get back – they can't see me, remember?"

So Harry grabbed onto Lily's arm and turned; in another second, they were on the corner of Wisteria Walk and Magnolia Crescent, walking uphill towards Privet Drive.

"Here we are," Lily gasped once they'd reached Number Four. She pushed the front door open. "In you go."

The lights were still on, as they were when they had rushed out for the hospital several hours ago. To Harry, it seemed like days ago.

Lily started up the stairs, obviously eager to leave. Harry went after her, following her into the guest bedroom.

"Oh look, your owl's awake," Harry noted, pointing to the fluffy bird blinking up at them from the bed.

"Peine!" Lily gently scooped up the owl. Peine let out an aching hoot. "What happened to her?"

"Right, I never got to tell you…" Harry realized, flushing slightly. "Er, she got caught on one of those metal bits outside the window, and I think she broke a wing. I couldn't do any magic to help her or anything…"

Lily winced and took out her wand. "Poor thing. Here – _episkey,_" she muttered, and Peine's wing was restored. "There you go."

The owl gave a stronger, thankful hoot, and flew up to a dresser where she perched.

"Need any help in here?" Harry asked.

Lily frowned. "No, I think I'm alright. Thanks, Harry."

He went back to his own tiny room and began tossing things into his trunk. He left some things for the Dursleys, however – candy wrappers and old _Daily Prophets_, which he knew they would rather let the room sit, dirty, than touch.

After checking one last time under his bed and in the loose floorboard in his old bedroom, Harry was packed. Lily met him downstairs shortly after.

"Ready?" She asked, slightly breathless.

"Yes. Let's get out of here," Harry answered gratefully.

They dragged their trunks out the door and down the hill, all the way back to Magnolia Crescent. Harry checked the skyline – it was dusk now, so it was dark enough so that no Muggles would see them Apparate.

Just then, Harry caught sight of movement in the bushes across the street, right outside the back entrance to Shrine Park. A trash can toppled over, crashing to the ground along with a yowling calico cat Harry swore he'd seen before.

"Look – it's the cat we used to feed!"

Lily turned. The tomcat that had just been scavenging in the rubbish bin was, indeed, the same one they had been bringing tuna for the past weeks. "Yes, it is."

Harry was struck with sudden inspiration. "Let's bring it with us."

"Harry, I've just been given responsibility over a teenage boy," Lily said tiredly. "I really don't know if I can handle a cat now…And my house is pretty small…"

"Please?" Harry pleaded. "It's not fair that I'm the only one who gets to leave Little Whinging tonight. Besides, he's so thin – I doubt he's eaten anything recently besides the food we gave him yesterday!"

She sighed. "Okay. Go get him."

Harry ran across the street, pulled the cat into his arms, and ran back. "Got him," he said, as the calico mewed loudly. "Are we going?"

Lily smiled, flashing her bright green eyes. "We sure are. Hold on tightly now, Harry…that's fine. Ready? Here we…go!"

Harry felt that now familiar squeezing sensation on his body, and was momentarily glad that he hadn't been eating recently. But as far as his mind was concerned, he was floating – farther and farther away from his past and closer to a new beginning…

Or, at least, to a better birthday party than he had seen in a long time.

**Au Pair**

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Yay! We're finished! This is such a relief…

I hope everyone understood the "mother" theme in this chapter – in the whole story, now that I think about it. Yes, I would definitely call that the underlying message in the story. And, come on, who _didn't_ feel sorry for Nurse Sedgwick, and what kind of monster are you? Kidding…

_Trivia: _Instead of a trivia this time, I just want to take a little survey. Care to share: Favorite part? Funniest part? Most touching part? Most frustrating part? Any other comments or things you think I could improve on?

Again, review replies will be posted later on in the week…probably tomorrow or Friday.

SEE YOU IN SERENDIPITY!

Hugs, kisses, love all around,

LaRohaZeta


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